, so that it was not until the
25/15th August that they reached the Orange Islands. The following
day several of the crew ascended a high mountain, from which they
saw open water on the other side of an island. As glad at the sight
of the sea as the ten thousand under Xenophon, they rushed back to
the vessel to give Barents the important news. He now did all he
could to pass the north extremity of Novaya Zemlya. He was
successful in doing so, and on the 31/21st a haven, situated in
about the latitude of 76 deg. North, was reached with great
difficulty, but all attempts to sail eastwards from it were
unsuccessful. Finally, on the 4th Sept./25th Aug. Barents determined
to return to Holland.

[Illustration: BARENTS' AND RIJP'S VESSELS. From De Veer. ]

Now, however, it was too late. The haven was blocked with drift-ice,
which was in constant motion, several times pressed the vessel high up
between the pieces of ice, and finally broke the rudder in pieces. It
was now evident that it would be necessary to winter, and for this
purpose the requisite tools, household articles, and provisions were
landed and men sent out to examine the neighbourhood. Reindeer tracks
were seen, and, what was more important, there were found on the beach
large tree-stems with their roots still adhering, and other wood which
the marine currents had drifted to this otherwise completely woodless
region. The drift-wood was collected in large heaps that it might not be
buried under the snow in winter. A place was chosen for a house, and
the Dutch began to draw timber to the place. The openings in the
drift-ice were on the 25/15th September covered with a crust of ice two
inches thick, but on the 5th Oct./15th Sept. the ice was again somewhat
broken up, which however was of no advantage to the imprisoned, because
their vessel was forced up so high on a block of ground ice that it
could not be got off. Bears were hunted almost daily. They were very
bold and sometimes came on board the vessel. On the 15/5th October all
ice was driven off as far as the eye could see, but the vessel still lay
motionless on the blocks of ground ice. Round these the ice closed in
again, to break up anew at a greater or less distance from the beach. On
the 4th March/22nd Feb. there was still much open water visible from the
beach, and on the 16/6th and 18/8th March, the sea appears to have been
in one direction completely free of ice.

On the 31/21st October, the crew began