BARENTSZ AND RIJP. 
285 
After the failure of this second expedition, the 
States General declined contributing to the further 
prosecution of the discovery; but they published a 
declaration, that if any city, company of merchants, or 
individuals, chose to be at the charge of another 
voyage, in search of a North-east passage to India, 
there should be no hindrance; and that if proof 
should be produced of the discovery of such a pas¬ 
sage, they would bestow a pecuniary recompense on 
the discoverers. 
The Council or municipal officers of the city of 
Amsterdam were not discouraged by the past failures, 
but fitted out two ships for another attempt. The 
agreement made with the seamen was, that they 
should have pay on a' certain footing if they returned 
without succeeding, and on a superior if they were 
successful. In one ship, Jacob Heemskerk went as 
merchant or supercargo, and W. Barentsz as chief 
pilot; in the other, Jan Cornelisz Rijp was merchant 
and commander. 
They set sail on the 18th of May, 1596. The 22nd 
they had sight of Shetland. Barentsz and Rijp dif¬ 
fered here in opinion respecting the course they should 
pursue. Barentsz proposed to steer for the North end 
of Nova Zembla. Rijp was for steering a more northerly 
course, to get far to the North of all the land that was 
