ground, hauing very faire shoalding within vs. About noone the Vrin came and anchored by vs. It floweth in this Riuer South-east and North-west, and it standeth in the latitude of 66. degrees and 25. minutes.
The ninth in the morning, our Captaine with the Captaine of the Vrin, went with their Boates vp the Riuer, where they did come to see their winter houses, which were builded with Whales bones, the balkes being of Whales ribbes, and the tops were couered with earth, and they had certaine Vaults or Sellers vnder the earth foure square, about two yards deepe in the ground. These houses were in number about some fortie. They found also cer∣taine Graues made vp of stones ouer the dead bodies of their people, the carkasses being wrap∣ped [ 10] in Seales skins, and the stones laid in manner of a Coffin ouer them.
This day in this place we set a man on Land, which had serued our Captaine the yeer•• before, which for a certaine fault committed by him our Captaine left behinde in the Countrie. About noone our men came aboord againe; and after Dinner some of the people came vnto vs, of whom wee caught 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with their Boates and stowed them in our ship••, to bring them into Denmark••, to enforme our selues better by their meanes of the state of their Countrie of Groineland▪ which in their owne language they call Secanunga, and say, that vp within the Land they haue a great King, which is carried vpon mens shoulders.
The tenth of August in the morning, the winde being at East South-east, we weighed and came forth of Rombes Foord, but being come forth to Sea amongst the Ilands, the winde came vp to the South-west and by South, the Sea going maruellous high, we lying West and West and [ 20] by North to Sea, doubling certaine Ilands and Rocks. Where the Sea going so wonderfull high had set vs vpon the Rocks, where we had all dyed, if God of his mercy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that instant, when wee saw nothing before our eyes but present death, had not sent vs a great gale of winde at South South-west, whereby wee lay West North-west away with a flawne sheat, wee dou∣bling of the Ilands and Rocks, were forced to goe betweene certaine little Ilands, which lye off Queene Sophias Cape foure leagues into the Sea. The which Ilands I named the yeere before, Knights Ilands, after the name of Iohn Knight. So hauing passed these Ilands not without great danger, was found betweene them many blinde Rock••▪ and being cleere in the Sea. The thir∣teenth at noone, we were in the latitude of 66. degrees 50. minutes, being off Cape Sophia West and by North halfe westerly about sixteene leagues.
[ 30] The eighteenth about foure in the morning, we got cleere off the Ice, steering South and by West away, it being very thicke weather till noone, when it cleered vp: at which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wee saw the shoare rising like Ilands, being very high and stretching South and by East▪ and North and by West about foure and twentie leagues, the shoare being beset all full with Ice, so that in that place it is impossible for any ship to come into the shoare. Also of the Southermost of these two Capes, lay such a great banke of Ice stretching into the Sea, that wee were forced to lye West and by North to double the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
All this afternoone, wee were almost comp••st with Ice, we hearing to the same, the winde comming vp to the East South-east, we 〈◊〉〈◊〉 South to the Ice were forced to loose for one [ 40] Iland, and to beare roome for another till about foure a clocke when by Gods helps 〈…〉〈…〉 cleere off the same, the winde comming vp to the South-east and by South, wee lay South-west and by South off all this night.
The two and twentieth thicke weather, the winde 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before. This morning about seuen a clocke we saw a saile West and by South of vs, we standing to him, for it was our Vice, admi∣rall the Lion, who had beene greatly troubled with the Ice▪ wee being glad to meete one ano∣ther againe.
The eight and twentieth about foure in the morning, the storme ceased, the winde com∣ming vp to the West South-west. About three a clocke wee set our sailes standing South-east a∣way. But being vnder saile, we spyed great bankes and Ilands of Ice to leeward of vs, lying off [ 50] East and by South, which Ice I did iudge to lye off Cape Desolation about eight leagues off: the which by reason of the fogge we could not 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
The nine and twentieth about sixe in the morning, the winde came vp to the North-east and by North, we making saile went South South-east away till noone with a stiffe gale, wee seeing in the morning pieces of drift Ice to windward of vs; hauing at noone a shrinke of the same I found vs in the latitude of 39. degrees 46. minutes, hauing from noone to noone made a South-east and by South way eight leagues.
The one and thirtieth, the winde continuing, wee holding still our course with the winde still at North North-west, with faire and cleere weather it blowing very much, so that wee stood away vnder a couple of courses low set, the Sea very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 growne, being in the ••••titude of 59. degrees 10. minutes, hauing made an East South-east way somewhat Easterly foure and [ 60] thirtie leagues. This afternoone after my obseruation, wee saw some Ilands of Ice 〈◊〉〈◊〉 some drift Ice, I something maruelling of the same, knowing both by my account and my 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••∣seruation, that we were shot too farre from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 part of Groinland, that was described 〈…〉〈…〉 Ma∣rine