Barentsz and Van Heemskerck

Willem Barentsz (born 1550?) and Jacob van Heemskerck (born 1567) were in charge of the third and final attempt to find a North-East Passage to Asia. Both men had plenty of experience: Barentsz had taken part in the two previous voyages to the Arctic region while Van Heemskerck was present in one of the expeditions. With two ships in 1596, they came across two previously unknown islands, first Bear Island and subsequently Spitsbergen. One of the ships returned to the United Provinces to report these discoveries to the merchants who had financed the expedition, while Barentsz, Van Heemskerck, and their crew - seventeen men altogether - continued towards Novaya Zemlya.

Then disaster struck. After rounding the northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya, the ship was caught in the ice. Despite the efforts of the two accomplished seamen and their crew, there was no other option but to spend the winter in the Arctic region. In order to survive the extreme cold, the crew were forced to construct a cabin from the ship's wood, leaving only the two smaller vessels for the homeward journey. Much of these experiences were recorded in detail by one of the crew-members, Gerrit de Veer. >Click here to start with the first fragment of his account.

Illustration 4. This map of 1598 shows Novaya Zemlya after the return of the survivors to the Dutch Republic. >In comparison to the map of 1595 [ill. 2] the northernmost point of the island was depicted in detail, as were the Behouden Huys, the impenetrability of the ice, and the route of the ships of Barentsz and Van Heemskerck.



Novaya Zemlya Home Introduction Finding a route Disagreements among geographers Barentsz and Van Heemskerck De Veer's eye-witness account Het Behouden Huys Returning home: a hero's welcome Publishing matters: Cornelis Claesz International interest Archaeological remains The myth of Novaya Zemlya Quiz Bibliography Feedback form Copyright Study Pack Home Dutch Home	Barentsz and Van Heemskerck Willem Barentsz (born 1550?) and Jacob van Heemskerck (born 1567) were in charge of the third and final attempt to find a North-East Passage to Asia. Both men had plenty of experience: Barentsz had taken part in the two previous voyages to the Arctic region while Van Heemskerck was present in one of the expeditions. With two ships in 1596, they came across two previously unknown islands, first Bear Island and subsequently Spitsbergen. One of the ships returned to the United Provinces to report these discoveries to the merchants who had financed the expedition, while Barentsz, Van Heemskerck, and their crew - seventeen men altogether - continued towards Novaya Zemlya. Then disaster struck. After rounding the northernmost point of Novaya Zemlya, the ship was caught in the ice. Despite the efforts of the two accomplished seamen and their crew, there was no other option but to spend the winter in the Arctic region. In order to survive the extreme cold, the crew were forced to construct a cabin from the ship's wood, leaving only the two smaller vessels for the homeward journey. Much of these experiences were recorded in detail by one of the crew-members, Gerrit de Veer. >Click here to start with the first fragment of his account. Illustration 4. This map of 1598 shows Novaya Zemlya after the return of the survivors to the Dutch Republic. >In comparison to the map of 1595 [ill. 2] the northernmost point of the island was depicted in detail, as were the Behouden Huys, the impenetrability of the ice, and the route of the ships of Barentsz and Van Heemskerck.