S04 THE OCEAN, 



Nor is it to be wondered at, that the navigation of Willjanr 

 Bareotz, otherwise an experienced mariner, was unsuccesstul, who 

 passed along the coast of Nova-zembla, as far as the 77th deg. of 

 N. ' ititude, for it is well known, that most of those northern coasts 

 are frozen up many leagues ; though in the open sea it is not so ; 

 no nor under the pole itself, unless by accident, as when on the 

 oach of summer, the frost breaks, and the ice which was near 

 40 or 50 leagues off the shore, breaks off from the land and floats 

 up and down in the sea. These proJigious floats of ice were the 

 chief obstruction to those that directed their course somewhat more 

 to the north. 



Some thirty years ago, certain merchants of Amsterdam attempted 

 those seas with much better success than the former. Having ad- 

 vanced to the 79th or 80th deg. of northern latitude, they passed 

 above a hundred leagues to the east of Nova.zembla. These being 

 returned to their own country, with great hopes of finding encou- 

 ragement to make further discoveries, petitioned the States Gene, 

 ral that they would be pleased to grant the navigation of the 

 northern seas, and of the eastern, not yet discovered to them. 

 But the governors of the East India Company, being sensible how 

 nearly this concerned them, presented a counter petition, desiring 

 that the petition of the said merchants might for the future be re. 

 ferred to them and their consideration- The merchants finding 

 their petitions thus crossed, they addressed themselves to the King 

 of Denmark, who immediately granted their demands. Under his 

 protection therefore they equipped two or three ships, such as they 

 judged most proper for this voyage. On which the governor of the 

 Dutch East India Company raised a considerable sum of money, 

 fli:d easily persuaded the mariners to desist from so dangerous a 

 voyage, as they represented it ; and that the merchants might have 

 no just cause to complain of the said company, the mariners went 

 to sea; but neglecting the directions and orders of those mer. 

 chants, they steered their course directly for Spitzberg, took in 

 their lading of fish, and returned home. 



Upon which the East India Company omitted nothing to find out 

 a passage through the north-eastern sea, for those who were to re- 

 turn into Europe from the East Indies. There was then much 

 discourse of the Gulf .of Ann, by which a passage was said to be 



