t «'■'..] 



44 cident." In which paflage, the having reached the Pole is al- 

 luded to as a known fact, and ftated as fuch to the Royal Society. 



Wood indeed, after not being able to proceed further than N. 

 lat. 76, difcredits in the lump all the former inftancesof having 

 reached high Northern latitudes, in the following words : 



" So here the opinion of William Barentz was confuted, and 

 " all the Dutch relations' 5 , which certainly are all forged and 

 44 abufive pamphlets, as alfo the relations of our country- 

 44 men . 



In juftice, however, to the memoirs of both Englifh and Dutch 

 navigators, I cannot but take notice of thefe very peremptory and 

 ill-founded reflections, made by. Wood ; and which feem to be 

 dictated merely by his difappointment, in not being able to effect 

 his difcovery. 



Wood attempted to fail in a N. E. direction between Spitzber- 

 gen and Nova Zembla, but was obftrudted by ice, fo that he 

 could not proceed further than the W. coaft of Nova Zembla in 

 N. lat. 76. Thinking it, therefore, prudent to return, he at once 

 treats as fabulous, not only the ideas of that molt perfevering 

 feaman William Barentz, but likewife all other accounts of 

 mips having reached high Northern latitudes. Now that the ice 

 which obftructed Wood in N. lat. 76.. was not a perpetual, but 

 only occafional barrier, appears by the Ruffians having not only 

 discovered, but lived feveral years in the ifland of Maloy Brun, 



* The .Dutch made three voyages for the difcovery of the N. E. paf- 

 fage in three fucceffive years, the third being in 1596, which laft was 

 by the encouragement of a private fubfeription only. See Gerard de 

 Yccx, p. 13. Amflerdam, 1609. folio. 



e Wood's Voyage, p. 181. 



which 



