54 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



his sixty-two companions, we know only that during the course 

 of the winter they all perished, doubtless of scurvy. The journal 

 of the commander ends with the statement that immediately 

 after the arrival of the vessels three men were sent south-south- 

 west, three west, and three south-east to search if they could 

 find people, but that they all returned "without finding of 

 people or any similitude of habitation." The following, 

 year Russian fishermen found at the wintering station the ships 

 and dead bodies of those who had thus perished, together with 

 the journal from which the extract given above is taken, and a 

 will witnessed by Willoughby,^ from which it appeared that he 

 himself and most of the company of the two ships were alive 

 in January, 1554.^ The two vessels, together with Willoughby's 

 corpse, were sent to England in 1555 by the merchant George 

 Killingworth.^ 



With regard to the position of Arzina it appears from a state- 

 ment in Anthony Jenkinson's first voyage [Hahluyt, p. 335) that 

 it took seven days to go from Vardoehus to Swjatoinos, and that 

 on the sixth he passed the mouth of the river where Sir Hugh 

 Willoughby wintered. At a distance from Vardoehus of about 

 six-sevenths of the way between that town and Swjatoinos, 

 there debouches into the Arctic Ocean, in 68° 20' N. L. and 38° 

 30' E. L. from Greenwich, a river, which in recent maps is called 

 the Varzina. It was doubtless at the mouth of this river that 

 two vessels of the first North-east Passage Expedition wintered 

 with so unfortunate an issue for the oflicers and men. 



The third vessel, the Edward Bonavcnture, commanded by 

 Chancelor, had on the contrary a successful voyage, and one 

 of great importance for the commerce of the world. As has 

 been already stated, Chancelor was separated from his com- 

 panions during a storm in August. He now sailed alone to 

 Vardoehus. After waiting there seven days for Sir Hugh 

 Willoughby, he set out again, resolutely determined " either 

 to bring that to passe which was intended, or else to die 

 the death;" and though " certaine Scottishmen" earnestly 

 attempted to persuade him to return, " he held on his course 

 towards that unknown part of the world, and sailed so farre that 

 hee came at last to the place where hee found no night at all, 

 but a continuall light and brightnesse of the sunne shining 



1 The testator was Gabriel Willoughby, who, as merchant, sailed in the 

 commander's vessel. 



2 Halduyt, p. 500 ; Purchas, iii. p. 249, and in the margin of p. 463. 



•* It is of liim that it is narrated in a letter written from Moscow by 

 Henrie Lane, that the Czar at an entertainment " called them to his table, 

 to receave each one a cuppe from his hand to drinke, and tooke into his 

 hand Master George Killingworths beard, which reached over the table, 

 and pleasantly delivered it the Metropolitane, who seeming to bless it, sad 

 in liusse, 'this is Gods gift.' " — Halduyt, p. 500. 



