( 146 ) 



WILLIAM BARENTz — Third Voyagc. 159^. 



After this luckless voyage, for which such great 

 and unnecessary expense and preparations had 

 been made, the States-General seemed to have^ 

 felt no inclination to renew the attempt for the 

 discovery of a north-east passage ; but they, never- 

 theless, issued a proclamation, holding forth a cer- 

 tain reward to such person or persons as should 

 accomplish a voyage to China by this route. Upon 

 the strength of this encouragement, the merchants 

 of Amsterdam fitted out two ships, one of which 

 was commanded by Jacob Van Heemskerke, and 

 William Barentz appointed chief pilot ; and the 

 master of the other was Cornelis Ryp. They sailed 

 from Amsterdam on the 10th of May. On the 1st of 

 June they had no night, and on the 4th, in lat. 71°, 

 a strange sight appeared in the heavens. It was two 

 parahelia or mock suns, which are thus described: 

 — " on each side of the sunne there was another 

 sunne and two raine-bowes, that past cleane thorow . 

 the three sunnes, and then two raine-bowes more, 

 the one compassing round about the sunnes, and 

 the other crosse thorow the great rundle ; the great 

 rundle standing with the uttermost point elevated 

 above the horizon 28*." In the original Dutch 

 voyage, by De Veer, a figure is given of the three 

 «uns and the rain-bows.* 



* Waerachtighe Beschriv. van de drie Seylagien, &c. 



