Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	let_v	put_v	time_n	2,345	4	3.9028	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68252	The strange and dangerous voyage of Captaine Thomas Iames, in his intended discouery of the Northwest Passage into the South Sea VVherein the miseries indured both going, wintering, returning; and the rarities obserued, both philosophicall and mathematicall, are related in this iournall of it. Published by his Maiesties command. To which are added, a plat or card for the sayling in those seas. Diuers little tables of the author's, of the variation of the compasse, &c. VVith an appendix concerning longitude, by Master Henry Gellibrand astronomy reader of Gresham Colledge in London. And an aduise concerning the philosophy of these late discouereyes, by W.W.	James, Thomas, 1593?-1635?; Gellibrand, Henry, 1597-1636.; W. W. (William Watts), fl. 1633.	1633 (1633)	STC 14444; ESTC S109089	103,433	150

did daily find by experience that the cold in the Woods would freeze our faces or any part of our flesh that was bare but it was yet not so mortifying as the other Our house on the out-side was couered two thirdparts with Snow and on the inside frozen hang with Icesickles The Cloathes on our beds would be couered with hoare frost which in this little habitacle was not farre from the fire But let vs come a little neerer to it The Cookes Tubs wherein he did water his meate standing about a yard from the fire and which he did all day plye with melted Snow-water yet in the night season whilst he slept but one watch would they be firme frozen to the very bottome And therefore was hee faine to water his meate in a brasse Kettle close adioyning to the fire and I haue many times both seene and felt by putting my hand into it that side which was next the fire was very warme and the other side an inch frozen I leaue the rest to our Cooke who will almost speake miracles of the cold The Surgeon who had hung his bottles of sirrops and other liquid things as conueniently as he could to preserue them had them all frozen our Vineger Oyle and Sacke which we had in small Caske in the house was all firme frozen It may further in generall be conceiued that in the beginning of Iune the Sea was not broken vp and the ground was yet frozen and thus much wee found by experience in the burying of our men in setting vp the Kings Standard towards the latter end of Iune and by our Well at our comming away in the beginning of Iuly at which time vpon the land for some other reasons it was very hote weather March 1632. The first of this moneth being Saint Dauids day we kept Holyday and solemnized it in the manner of the Ancient Britaines praying for his Highnesse happinesse Charles Prince of Wales The fifteenth one of our men thought he had seene a Deere whereupon he with two or three more desired that they might go to see if they could take it I gaue them leaue but in the Euening they returned so disabled with cold which did rise vp in blisters vnder the soales of their feete and vpon their legges to the bignesse of Walnuts that they could not recouer their former estate which was not very well in a fortnight after The sixe and twentieth three more desire that they also might goe out to try their fortunes but they returned worse disabled and euen almost stifled with the cold This Euening the Moone rose in a very long Ovale alongst the Horizon By the last of this moneth the Carpenter had set vp 17. ground timbers and 34. Staddles and poore man hee proceedeth the best he can though he be faine to be led vnto his labour In briefe all this moneth hath beene very cold The wind about the N. W. The snow as deepe as it hath beene all this winter But to answer an obiection that may be made You were in a wood may some men say vnto vs and therefore you might make fire enough to keepe you from the cold It is true we were in a wood and vnder a South-banke too or otherwise we had all starued But I must tell you withall how difficult it was to haue wood in a wood And first I will make a muster of the tooles we had The Carpenter in his Chest had 2. Axes indeed but one of them was spoyl'd in cutting downe wood to pile about our house before Christmas When we came first a land we had but two whole hatchets which in a few dayes broke 2. inches below the Sockets I cald for 3. of the Coopers hatchets The Carpenters axe and the Coopers best hatchet I caused to be lockt vp The other 2. hatchets to be new helu'd and the blades of the 2. broken hatchets to be put into a cleft piece of wood and then to be bound about with rope yame as fast as might be which must be repaired euery day And these were all the cutting tooles we had moreouer the 6. of February the Carpenter had out his best axe about something and one of the company in his absence by his vndiscreete handling of it brake that too two inches below the Socket we must henceforth order these pieces of tooles the best we could wherefore I gaue order that the Carpenter should haue one of the Coopers hatchets they that lookt for timber in the woods the other and they that cut downe wood to burne were to haue the 2. pieces And this was before Christmas The three that were appointed to looke crooked timber must stalke and wade sometimes on all foure thorow the snow and where they saw a tree likely to fit the mould they must first heaue away the snow and then see if it would fit the mould if not they must seeke further if it did fit the mould then they must make a fire to it to thawe it otherwise it could not be cut Then cut it downe and fit it to the length of the mould and then with other helpe get it home a mile thorow the snow Now for our firing We could not burne greene wood it would so smoke that it was not indurable yea the men had rather starue without in the cold then sit by it As for the dry wood that also was bad enough in that kinde for it was full of Turpentine and would send forth such a thicke smoke that would make abundance of soote which made vs all looke as if we had beene free of the company of Chimney-Sweepers Our cloathes were quite burnt in pieces about vs and for the most part we were all without shooes But to our Fuellers againe They must first as the former goe vp and downe in the snow till they saw a standing dry tree for that the snow couered any that were fallen Then they must hacke it downe with their pieces of hatchets and then others must carry it home thorow the snow The boyes with Cuttleasses must cut boughes for the Carpenter for euery piece of timber that he did worke must first be thaw'd in the fire and he must haue a fire by him or he could not worke And this was our continuall labour throughout the forementioned cold besides our tending of the sicke and other necessary imployments Aprill 1632. The first of this moneth being Easter-day we solemnized as religiously as God did giue vs grace Both this day and the 2. following Holy-dayes were extreme cold And now sitting all about the fire we reasoned and considered together vpon our estate We had 5. men whereof the Carpenter was one not able to doe any thing The Boate-swayne and many more were very infirme and of all the rest we had but 5. that could eate of their ordinary allowance The time and season of the yeere came forwards apace and the cold did very little mitigate Our Pinnace was in an

the thicke congealed water carrying one another We did sensibly perceiue withall how wee did daily sinke into more miseries The land was all deepe couered with snow the cold did multiply and the thicke snow water did increase and what would become of vs our most mercifull God and preseruer knew onely The 29. I obserued an Eclipse of the Moone with what care possibly I could both in the tryall of the exactnesse of our instruments as also in the obseruation I referre you to the obseruation in the latter end of this Relation where it is at large described This moneth of October ended with snow and bitter cold weather The first of November I cast vp accounts with the Steward concerning our victuall the third part of our time being this day out I found him an honest man for he gaue me an account euery weeke what was spent and what was still in the hold remaining vnder his hand I would take no excuse of leakage or other waste vnlesse he did daily show it me Euery month I made a new suruey and euery sixe moneths put what we had spared by it selfe which now was at least a moneths prouision of Bread and a fortnights of Pease and Fish c. The 3. day the boate indeauoured to get ashoare but could not set thorow the thicke congealed water The 4. they found a place to get ashoare and so once in 2. or 3. dayes till the 9. bringing Beere to our men ashoare in a barrell which would freeze firmely in the house in one night Other prouision they had store The Ice Beere being thaw'd in a kettell was not good and they did breake the Ice of the pondes of water to come by water to drinke This pond-water had a most lothsome smell with it so that doubting lest it might be infectious I caused a Well to be sunke neere the house There we had very good water which did taste as we flattered our selues with it euen like milke The 10. hauing store of boordes for such a purpose I put the Carpenter to worke to make vs a little boate which we might carry if occasion were ouer the Ice and make vse of her where there was water At noone I tooke the Latitude of this Iland by 2. Quadrants which I found to be 52. 00. I vrged the men to make traps to catch Foxes for we did daily see many Some of them were pied blacke and white whereby I gathered that there was some blacke Foxes whose skinnes I told them were of a great value and I promised that whosoeuer could take one of them should haue the skinne for his reward Hereupon they made diuers traps and waded in the snow which was very deepe to place them in the woods The 12. our house tooke a fire but we soone quenched it We were faine to keepe an extraordinary fire night and day and this accident made me order a watch to looke to it continually seeing that if our house and clothing should be burnt that all we were but in a woefull condition I lay ashoare till the 17. all which time our miseries did increase It did snow and freeze most extremely At which time we looking from the shoare towards the Ship she did looke like a piece of Ice in the fashion of a Ship or a Ship resembling a piece of Ice The snow was all frozen about her and all her fore-part firme Ice and so was she on both sides also Our Cables froze in the hawse wonderfull to behold I got me aboord where the long nights I spent with tormenting cogitations and in the day time I could not see any hope of sauing the Ship This I was assured of that it was most impossible to endure these extremities long Euery day the men must beare the Ice off the Cables while some within boord with the Carpenters long Calking Iron did digge the Ice out of the hawses in which worke the water would freeze on their clothes and hands and would so benumme them that they could hardly get into the Ship without being heau'd in with a rope The 19. our Gunner who as you may remember had his legge cut off did languish vnrecouerably and now grew very weake desiring that for the little time he had to liue hee might drinke Sacke altogether which I ordered hee should doe The 22. in the morning he dyed An honest and a strong-hearted man Hee had a close-boorded Cabbin in the Gun-roome which was very close indeed and as many clothes on him as was conuenient for we wanted no clothes and a panne with coales a fire continually in his Cabbin For all which warmth his playster would freeze at his wound and his bottle of Sacke at his head We committed him at a good distance from the Ship vnto the Sea The three and twentieth the Ice did increase extraordinarily and the snow lay on the water in flakes as it did fall much Ice withall droue by vs yet nothing hard all this while In the euening after the watch was set a great piece came athwart our hawse and foure more followed after him the least of them a quarter of a mile broad which in the darke did very much astonish vs thinking it would haue carried vs out of the Harbour vpon the shoalds Easter point which was full of rocks It was newly congealed a matter of two inches thicke and wee broke thorow it the Cable and Anker induring an incredible stresse sometimes stopping the whole Ice We shot off three Muskets signifying to our men ashoare that we were in distresse who answered vs againe but could not helpe vs. By ten a clocke it was all past neuerthelesse wee watched carefully and the weather was warmer then wee had felt it any time this moneth In the morning at breake of day I sent for our men aboord who made vp the house and arriued by 10. being driuen by the way to wade thorow the congealed water so that they recouered to the Boate with difficultie There droue by the Ship many pieces of Ice though not so large as the former yet much thicker One piece came foule of the Cable and made the Ship driue As soone as we were cleere of it we ioyned our strengths together and had vp our Eastermost Anker and now I resolued to bring the Ship aground for no Cables nor Ankers could hold her But I will here show you the reasons why I brough her no sooner aground First it was all stony ground some stones lying dry three or foure foot aboue water so that it was to be suspected that it was the like all about vs. Secondly it did ordinarily flow but two foot and a halfe here and if shee should bed deepe in the sands we could not euer come to digge her out againe for that shee would not be dry by foure or fiue foot Thirdly it was a loose sand which might rise with the surfe or so mount about her that all our weake

when it was something darke I tooke a Lance in my hand and one with me with a Musket and some fire and went to our watch-tree to make a fire on the eminentest place of the Iland to see if it would be answered Such fires I had formerly made to haue knowledge if there were any Saluages on the maine or the Ilands about vs. Had there beene any my purpose was to haue gone to them to get some intelligence of some Christians or some Ocean Sea thereabouts When I was come to the tree I laid downe my Lance and so did my Consort his Musket and whilest my selfe climed vp to the top of the tree I ordered him to put fire vnto some low tree therabouts He vnaduisedly put fire to some trees that were to wind-ward so that they and all the rest too by reason it had beene very hot weather being seare and dry tooke fire like flaxe or hempe and the wind blowing the fire towards me I made haste downe the tree But before I was halfe way down the fire tooke in the bottome of it and blazed so fiercely vpwards that I was faine to leape off the tree and downe a steepe hill and in briefe with much adoe escapt burning The mosse on the ground was as dry as flaxe and it would runne most strangely and like a traine along the earth The Musket and the Lance were both burnt My Consort at last came to me and was ioyfull to see me for he thought verily I had bin burned And thus we went homeward together leauing the fire increasing and still burning most furiously We could see no answer of it I slept but little all night after and at breake of day I made all our Powder and Beefe to be carried aboord This day I went to the hils to looke to the fire where I saw how it did still burne most furiously both to the Westward and Northward leauing one vpon the hils to watch it I came home immediately and made them take downe our new suite of sayles and carry them to the seas-side ready to be cast in if occasion were and to make haste to take downe our houses About noone the winde shifted Northerly and our Sentinell came running home bringing vs word that the fire did follow him at hard heeles like a traine of powder It was no neede to bid vs take downe and carry all away to the sea-side The fire came towards vs with a most terrible rattling noyse bearing a full mile in breadth and by that time wee had vncouered our houses and laid hand on to carry away our last things the fire was come to our Towne and seazed on it and in a trice burnt it downe to the ground We lost nothing of any value in it for we had brought it all away into a place of security Our dogges in this combustion would sit downe on their tayles and howle and then runne into the Sea on the shoalds and there stay The winde shifted Easterly and the fire ranged to the Westward seeking what it might deuoure This night we lay all together aboord the Ship and gaue God thankes that had Shipt vs in her againe The twentie seuen twentie eight and twentie nine wee wrought hard in fetching our things aboord as likewise our water which we must towe off with the ebbe and bring it to the Ship with the flood Moreouer we must goe about the Easter-point for drift-wood for our tooles were all so spent that we could cut none Wherefore about some three dayes agone I had caused our Pinnace to be sawed to pieces and with that we stowed our Caske intending to burne it at low waters and such other times as we could not worke in carrying things aboord I employed the men in fetching stones and we did build three Tombs ouer our three dead fellowes filling them vp with sand in a decent and handsome fashion The least Tombe had two tunnes of stones about it The thirtieth we most earnestly continued our labour and brought our sayles to yard and by eleuen a clocke at night had made a priddy Ship meaning to haue finished our businesse with the weeke and the moneth that so we might the better solemnize the Sabbath ashoare to morrow and so take leaue of our wintering Iland The winde hath been variable a great while and the Bayes are now so cleere of Ice that we cannot see a piece of it for it was all gone to the Northward Hoping therefore that it giue content to some Readers I will relate the manner of the breaking of it vp It is first to be noted that it doth not freeze naturally aboue sixe foot the rest is by accident Such is that Ice that you may see here sixe faddome thicke This we had manifest proofe of by our digging the Ice out of the Ship and by digging to our Ankers before the Ice broke vp In May when the heate increaseth it thawes first on the shoald by the shoare side which when it hath done round about then the courses of the tydes as well by the ebbe and flood as by their rising and falling doe so shake the maine Ice that it cracks and breakes it Thus when it hath gotten roome for motion then runnes one piece of it vpon another and so bruises and grinds it selfe against the shoalds and rocks that it becomes abbreuiated insomuch that a Ship may haue well passage thorow it Besides this much of it is thrust vpon the shoalds where it is much consumed by the heate of the Sunne The season here in this Climate is most vnnaturall for in the day time it will be extreme hot yea not indurable in the Sunne which is by reason that it is a sandy countrey In the night againe it will freeze an inch thicke in the ponds and in the tubs about and in our house And all this towards the latter end of Iune The Muskitoes vpon our comming away were most intolerable Wee tore an old Auncient in pieces and made vs bagges of it to put our heads in but it was no fortification against them They would finde wayes and meanes to sting vs that our faces were swolne hard out in pumples which would so itch and smart that we must needs rubbe and teare them And these flyes indeed were more tormenting to vs then all the cold we had heretofore indured Iuly 1632. The first of this month being Sunday we were vp betimes And I caused our Ship to be adorned the best we could our Ancient on the Poope and the Kings Colours in the maine top I had prouided a short briefe of all the passages of our voyage to this day I likewise wrote in what state we were at present and how I did intend to prosecute the discouery both to the Westward and to the Southward about this Iland This Briefe discourse I had concluded with a request to any Noble minded Trauaylor that should take it downe or come to the notice of it that if we