184 REMAINS OF DUTCH BUILDINGS. 



Other attempts have been made to settle this 

 island, by both Dutch and Russians, but they all 

 failed, from the ravages of that dreadful disease 

 the scurvy, which Spitzbergen, in particular, 

 appears to promote. By the numerous graves 

 still visible upon the northern and western coasts 

 of that island, and especially upon the islands of 

 Amsterdam and the Norways, it is evident that 

 the mortality has been very great, as compared 

 with the probable number of the colonists that 

 were landed. 



The remains of buildings, consisting of dwelling 

 houses, " cooking houses," or places for boiling 

 oil, &c, still visible, in a very dilapidated state, 

 are proofs that a long interval has elapsed since 

 the last of these attempts at colonization was 

 made, and indeed we know that for many years 

 past the only inhabitants upon this island have 

 been small parties, which have been annually sent 

 from Russia and Norway, to collect morses' teeth, 

 and peltry. These hardy people contrive to 

 pass the winter upon this inhospitable coast, but 

 they do not remain more than one year, unless 

 by their own desire. 



Upon several parts of this coast we noticed 

 small wooden hovels, eight or ten feet square, 

 which we rightly conjectured had been used by 

 parties of these Russian hunters. We are in- 



