BAKENTZ. DISAPPOINTMENTS. 477 



ing a promontory, lie saw a blue and open sea extending before 

 him, and the Russian coast trending away towards the south- 

 east. He now no longer doubted that he had sailed round the 

 famous cape " Tabis " of Pliny, an imaginary promontory which 

 according to that erroneous guide formed the northern extremity 

 of Asia, and whence the voyage was supposed to be short and 

 easy to its eastern and southern shores. He had only reached 

 the Gulf of Obi, and within the Arctic Circle the continent of 

 Asia still stretched 120 degrees to the east ; but this was then 

 unknown, and the Dutchman, satisfied with the prospect of suc- 

 cess, did not press onward to test its reality, but started in full 

 sail for Holland, to rouse the sluggish fancy of his phlegmatic 

 countrymen with chimerical hopes and golden visions. 



On the receipt of this glad intelligence six large vessels were 

 immediately fitted out, and richly laden with goods suited to 

 the taste of the Indians. A small swift-sailing yacht was added 

 to the squadron to bear it company as far as the imaginary pro- 

 montory of Tabis, and thence to return with the good news that 

 it had safely performed what was supposed to be the most 

 perilous part of the voyage, and had been left steering with a 

 favourable wind right off to India. 



But, as may well be imagined, these sanguine hopes were 

 destined to meet with a woeful disappointment, for the Wind- 

 hole Strait, doing full justice to its name, did not allow them to 

 pass; and, after many fruitless endeavours to force their way 

 through the mighty ice-blocks that obstructed that inhospitable 

 channel, they returned dejected and crest-fallen to the port 

 whence they had sailed a few months before, elated with such 

 brilliant expectations. 



Although great disappointment was felt at this failure, the 

 scheme however was not abandoned, and on the 16th of May, 

 1596, Heemskerk, Barentz, and Cornelis Ryp once more started 

 for the north-east. Bear Island and Spitzbergen were discovered, 

 whereupon the ships separated ; Cornelis and Heemskerk return- 

 ing to Holland, while Barentz, enclosed by the ice, was obliged 

 to spend a long and dreary winter in the dreadful solitudes of 

 Nova Zembla. Fortunately a quantity of driftwood was found 

 on the strand, which served the Dutchmen both for the con- 

 struction of a small hut and for fuel. At the same time it raised 

 their courage, as they now no longer doubted that Providence. 



