76 A rctic and Antarctic Exploration [part i 
" So committing themselves to the will and mercy 
of God, with a west-north-west wind, and on indifferent 
open water, they set sail and put to sea," on the 13th 
of June, 1597. They reached the Orange Islands, and 
landed at Point Desire to melt snow and fill their beakers, 
and to get birds' eggs for the sick. Here Captain 
Heemskerk fell into the water and nearly lost his life ; 
but he was rescued, and dried his clothes at the fire of 
driftwood they had made to melt the snow. From the 
Orange Islands they sailed about 20 miles to Ice Point. 
The boats being close together the captain hailed Willem 
Barentsz to know how he did. Barentsz replied "lam 
well, mate, and I hope to be able to run before we come 
to Wardhaus." Gerrit de Veer, the mate, was in the 
same boat with Barentsz. "Gen-it," he said, " if we are 
near the Ice Point [the northernmost point of Novaya 
Zemlya] just lift me up again. I must see that point 
once more." 
On the 17th June the boats were beset by the ice, 
" it came so fast upon us that it made our hair stand 
upright on our heads, it was so fearful to behold." The 
boats ^ were hauled up on the ice and repaired. The 
two sick men were laid on the floe. Barentsz seemed 
better, and had some discussion with Gerrit de Veer 
about the chart. Then he said " Gerrit, give me to 
drink." He had no sooner swallowed the water than 
he was taken with a sudden spasm and died. Claas 
Adrianszoon died soon afterwards. On the 22nd they got 
the boats into open water and again made sail. 
With much labour, and frequent difficulties with the 
ice, the two boats made their way southwards along the 
coast of Novaya Zemlya until, on the 28th July, they 
fell in with two Russian lodias. By this time they were 
all suffering, more or less, from scurvy. The Russians 
sailed away towards Waigatz Island. The Dutchmen 
though very sick, and scarcely able to pull their oars, 
also managed to reach the island where, to their great 
joy, they found plenty of scurvy grass, which cured them. 
They had heard of its healing virtues in Holland, and they 
now ate the leaves in handfuls. 
At length the weary voyagers reached Kola in Lapland, 
where they found a Dutch ship commanded by the very 
