r herds up thither to
pasture on the grassy plains along the coast of the Polar Sea, where
they were less troubled by the mosquito and the reindeer fly than
further to the south, and probably the wild nomads were accompanied
then, as now, by merchants from the more civilised races settled in
Northern Russia. The name Novaya Zemlya (New Land), indicates that
it was discovered at a later period, probably by Russians, but we
know neither when nor how.[103] The narrative of Stephen Burrough's
voyage, which, like so many others, has been preserved from oblivion
by Hakluyt's famous collection, thus not only forms a sketch of the
first expedition of West-Europeans to Novaya Zemlya, but is also the
principal source of our knowledge of the earliest Russian voyages to
these regions. I shall on this account go into greater detail in the
case of this voyage than in those of the other voyages that will be
referred to here.

It is self-evident that the new important commercial treaties, to
which Chancelor's discovery of the route from England to the White
Sea led, would be hailed with great delight both in England and in
Russia, and would give occasion to a number of new undertakings. At
first, as early as 1555, there was formed in England a company of
"merchant adventurers of England for the discoverie of landes,
territories, isles, dominions, and seigniories unknowen," commonly
called "the Muscovy Company," Sebastian Cabot, then almost an
octogenarian, was appointed governor for the term of his natural
life, and a number of privileges were conferred upon it by the
rulers both of England and Russia. At the same time negotiators,
merchants, and inquirers were sent by different ways from England to
Russia in order to confirm the amity with that country, and more
thoroughly examine the, at least to England, new world, which had
now been discovered in the East. But a detailed account of these
journeys does not enter into the plan of this work.

With this, however, men were not content. They considered
Chancelor's voyage as but the first step to something far more
important, namely, the opening of the North-East Passage to China
and India. While Chancelor himself the year after his return was
sent along with several merchants to the White Sea, a further
attempt was planned to reach the east coast of Asia by the same
route. A small vessel, the _Searchthrift_, was fitted out for this
purpose and placed under the command of Stephen Burro