in some years the
drift-ice did not disappear; that during winter the whole sound and
the bays and coves were frozen over, but that the sea on both sides
did not freeze; that beyond the mouth of the river Ob there were the
mouths of two other rivers, of which the more remote was called the
"Molconsay," the nearer, which was often visited by Russian trading
vessels, the Gillissy; that the land continued beyond the Ob to a
cape which projected towards Novaya Zemlya, and that beyond this
promontory there was a great sea, which extended along Tartary to
warm regions.[134]

When the Dutch sailed into the Kara Sea they fell in with much ice,
on which account they anchored at the island, Staten Eiland, where
during the preceding voyage rock crystal had been found. Here two
men were killed in the way that has already been described.[135]
Depressed by this unfortunate occurrence and afraid to expose their
vessels, laden with valuable goods, too late in the season, to the
large quantity of ice which drifted about in the Kara Sea, the
commanders determined to turn. The fleet returned to Holland without
further adventure, passing through Vaygats Sound on the 25/15th
September.

This expedition did not yield any new contribution to the knowledge
of our globe. But it deserves to be noted that we can state with
certainty, with the knowledge we now possess of the ice-conditions
of the Kara Sea, that the Dutch during both their first and second
voyages had the way open to the Obi and Yenisej. If they had availed
themselves of this and continued their voyage till they came to
inhabited regions on either of these rivers, a considerable commerce
would certainly have arisen between Middle Asia and Europe by this
route as early as the beginning of the seventeenth century.

THE THIRD DUTCH EXPEDITION, 1596-97.[136] After the unfortunate
issue of the expedition of 1595, which had been fitted out at so
great an expense, and which had raised so great expectations, the
States-General would not grant the necessary funds for a third
voyage, but they offered instead a great prize to the states or
merchants that at their own expense should send out a vessel that
should by the route north of Asia force a passage to Asia and
China.[137] Encouraged by this offer the merchants of Amsterdam sent
out two vessels, one under the command of Willem Barents and Jacob
van Heemskerk, the other under Jan Cornelisz. Rijp. The crew were
chosen with care, unmarr