Gerrit de Veer. Tre Navigationi fatte dagli Olandesi, e Zelandesi Al Settentrione nella Norvegia, Moscovia, e Tartaria verso il Catai, e Regno de’ Sini, dove scopersero il Mare di Veygatz, La Nuova Zembla, Et un Paese nell’ Ottantesimo grado creduto la Groenlandia. Con una descrittione di tutti gli accidenti occorsi di giorno in giorno à’ Naviganti, Et in particolare di alcuni combattimenti con Orsi Marini, e dell’ eccesivo freddo di quei paesi, essendo nell’ultima Navigatione restata la Nave nel ghiaccio, onde li Marinari passorono infinite difficoltà, per lo spatio di diece mesi, e furono forzati alla fine di passare con li Batelli trecento miglia di Mare pericolosissimo. Descritte in Latino da Gerardo di Vera, e Nuovamente da Giovan Giunio Parisio Tradotte nella lingua Italiana. In Venetia, Presso Ieronimo Porro, & Compagni, 1599.
() fol. 79 (wants fol. 25-28, 76-77). Signatures: [1], A-F4 (wants G) H-S4, wantsT4, V1, V2-V3. Bound in 19th century board with leather spine and 19th century flyleaves. Historic stablization has provided marginal restoration. Some historic (17th c.) underlining throughout and signifcant ink staining. Contemporary hand has written autore by Gherardo di Vera's name on final page listing crew. 29 of 31 illustrations (listed in full below). Defective but GOOD condition.
Two issues printed in the same year, this one by Girolamo Porro and another by G.B. Ciotti. Previously, a French and Latin edition were published in 1598, all using the Dutch original text as the translation source. The plates used for this edition had been newly re-engraved in a smaller format, resulting in particularly dark and crisp illustrations.
The text follows the first-hand account of the ships carpenter, Gerrit de Veer (Gherardo di Vera in the Italian version), on board the two final expeditions by Willem Barentsz, as he searched for a northeastern passage to Asia through Russia. Barentsz's three artic expeditions took place on 1594, 1595, and 1596-97, during which time he and his crew explored Norway Novaya Zemlya (marked on the maps in the book as Nouva Zemba), the Vaygach Straight, and Svalbard (which they believed was Greenland). The Barents Sea between Norway and Russia is named after Barentsz.
The third voyage was particularly disasterous as the crew was trapped in ice and harried by bears constantly. They were able to build a wooden shelter and survive off of bear, seal, and fox meat. Only 11 of the crew surived, including Gerrit; Barentsz perished. Gerrit kept a diary of this voyage and it was published in Latin in 1598.
Descriptive List of Extant Prints:
Frontispiece
Map of Nova Zembla (fol. 4r)
Illustration of a bear ruining the comany (fol. 5v)
Illustration of seal hunt (fol. 8v)
Illustration of rough sea voyage (fol. 11v)
Map of Russia and Moscovia (fol. 17r)
Illustration of Samiuti people (fol. 18r)
Illustration of bear attack (fol. 20r)
Illustration of ships navigating (fol 24r)
Illustration of bears on ice (fol 30v)
Illustration of ship navigating ice (fol 31v)
Illustration of ship run aground on ice, and bears (fol. 32v)
Illustration of fighting bears with pikes (fol. 34v)
Illustration of reparing the ship (fol. 36)
Illustration of building a shelter in the Northern way (fol. 38 r)
Illustration of fending off bears (fol. 39r)
Illustration of building fox traps (fol. 41r)
Illustration of bear attack (fol 48r)
Illustration of trying to free the boats from ice to return home (fol. 54r)
Illustration of renewed effort to free the boats (fol. 55r)
Illustration of the road they carved into the ice, and a bear attack (fol. 56r)
Illustration of dragging the boats to the water (fol. 58v)
Illustration of the boats on ice (fol. 60r)
Map of Nova Zembla (fol. 61v)
Illustration of hauling the boats through ice, bothered by bears (fol. 64r)
Illustration of walking over the ice (fol. 65v)
Illustration of hauling the boat some more near the Ilse of Croce (fol. 68r)
Illustration of finally meeting Russian ships and men (fol 69v)
Illustration of how they arrived to a Russian ship and recieved food (fol. 72v)
Map of Lappia (fol. 75 r)