54 RELICS OF BARENTZ. 



mains of many a hardy mariner and of spirited ^eaders in 

 the perilous search for the North Pole. 



Among the many daring men who have biaved the 

 icy terrors of Polar navigation, none have been more dar- 

 ing than William Barentz, whose expeditions we chronicle 

 earlier in this chapter. After twice returning in safety to 

 his native Holland, a third time this intrepid explorer 

 went forth into those frozen wilds, and this proved his last 

 earthly enterprise; the expedition was disastrous in many 

 respects, but chiefly in the death of its brave leader and 

 of many of his equally brave followers. 



On the ice-bound coast of Spitzbergen, Barentz and his 

 men found it necessary to land and spend a dreamy winter, 

 and here they built huts for shelter and made them as 

 comfortable as possible for occupancy by furnishing them 

 from their vessel. When the winter was over, they found 

 their vessel unfit for the voyage home, and being com- 

 pelled to embark in their boats, had to leave their furni- 

 ture, utensils, etc., in the huts. 



Three centuries nearly have passed away since the de- 

 sertion of the quaint settlement. The years have come 

 and gone over those silent witnesses to the presence of the 

 ancient mariner and his sturdy crew. In all that time, as 

 we may believe, no living thing has invaded the sacred 

 solitude of this spot, haunted with the memories of that 

 coming, long ago, of Barentz, and his men. Possibly, from 

 a distance, the walrus and the seal may have gazed upon 

 it, and from his rapid flight in the ether some Arctic bird 

 of passage may have turned a curious eye upon the scene. 

 But no dust has settled there; no moth has stolen in to 

 bring decay. Even the elements seem to have abated 

 their severity and to have protected with a kindly hand 

 the legacy left to their undivided keeping. 



The sequel almost partakes of the character of one of 

 those tales wherewith the princess in the "Arabian Nights" 

 deferred her threatened fate by whiling away the tedious 



