180 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



northern route, Barents determined, after consulting with his 

 men, to turn south and sail to Vaygats, While sailing down, 

 Barents, in latitude 71° north, makes the remark that he was 

 now probably at a place where Oliver Brunel ^ had been 

 before, and which had been named by him Costinsark, evidently 

 the present Kostin Schar, a Russian name still in use for the 

 sound which separates Meschduschar Island from the main 

 island. It ougiit to be observed, however, that on old maps 



' The name Oliver Brunei occurs so often in accounts of the first voyages 

 to Novaya Zemlya, and the man who bore it appears to have exercised so 

 great an influence on the development of commercial communications with 

 Kussia, and the sending out of exploratory expeditions to tlie North Polar 

 Saa, that I shall give a brief sketch of his life, mainly after S. Muller, 

 Geschiedenis der Noordsche Compagnie, Utrecht, 1874, p. 26. 



Oliver Brunei was born in Brussels, and in 1565 went in a Russian 

 vessel from Kola to Kolmogor in order to learn the Russian language and 

 make himself acquainted with the trade of the region. But the English, 

 who of course eagerly endeavoured to prevent any intrusion on their 

 newly-discovered commercial territory, prevailed on the Russians to keep 

 him in prison for several years. In the end he was set at liberty, or rather 

 handed over to the rich merchants Jakov and Grigory Anikiev(Stroganov). 

 In consequence of this, Brunei came to take part in the commercial 

 expeditions sent out by this mercantile house, (which by the conquest of 

 Siberia acquired a world-historical importance, both by land and sea,) to 

 the parts of Asia bordering on Russia, whereby he became well acquainted 

 with the Polar Sea and the Gulf of Obi. Brunei afterwards brought about 

 direct communication between the Netherlands and the great commercial 

 house, almost sovereign de facto if not dejure in extensive countries. In 

 connection with this Brunei made strenuous exertions to open in earnest the 

 navigation of the Netherlands to the White Sea, and there found a 

 Netherlands factory, which was placed not on Rosen Island, which was 

 occupied by the English, but on the spot where the present Archangel is 

 situated. Brunei next took part in preparations for a Russian Nortli-east 

 expedition, for which Swedish shipbuilders were received into Stroganov's 

 service. Brunei himself travelled by land to Holland to enlist men. A 

 number of particulars regarding these undertakings of Brunei are con- 

 tained in a letter of John Balak to Gerard Mercator^ dated "Arusburgi 

 ad Ossellam fluvium " the 20th February, 1581. The letter is printed m 

 the second edition of Ilakhnjf, 1598, i. p. 509. Scarcely however had 

 Brunei returned to his native country, before he altered his plan and 

 wished to procure for his own fatherland the honour and advantage of the 

 undertaking. The first attempt of the Dutch to reach Chijia and Japan by 

 the north-east thus came about. Of this voyage we know only that Brunei 

 endeavoured without success to sail through Yugor Schar, and that his 

 vessel, heavily laden with furs, plates of mica, and rock-crystal, was 

 wrecked on the way home at the mouth of the Petchora (Beschri/viughe 

 vander Samoyeden Landt in Tartar len, &c. Amsterdam, 1612. S. Muller's 

 Photolithographic Reproduction, 1878). The mica and rock-crystal were 

 undoubtedly brought from the Ural, as no useful plates of mica or large 

 rock-crystals are foiuid in the region of the Petchora. Brunei then entered 

 the Danish service. For we know that an Oliver Brunei during the reign 

 of King Fredrik II. in Denmark offered to explore Greenland, and for that 

 purpose in 1583 obtained the right to settle in Bergen and there enjoy six 

 years freedom from taxes (Cf . Groenlands historiske Mindesmocrker, Copen- 

 hagen, 1838, vol. iii. p. 666). 



