242 BARENTZ' THIRD VOYAGE. 



a.d. compassed them, and the fourth passed verti- 



1596 ' cally through the centre. 



There was here a difference of opinion as to 

 the course which ought to be steered; Corne- 

 lison maintaining, that if they kept to the east- 

 ward of N.N.E., they would fall in with Waigatz 

 Strait; Barentz, on the contrary, affirming that 

 they ought to steer to the eastward of N.E. : 

 the matter was, however, compromised by both 

 yielding a point, and steering N.E. by N. In 

 this Cornelison was clearly in the wrong, as 

 the result soon proved ; for, instead of making 

 the coast of Nova Zembla, as was intended, 

 they fell in with Cherie Island, and some angry 

 w T ords passed in consequence between the pilots 

 of the ships when they met. A party landed 

 upon the island, and procured a quantity of eggs ; 

 and as they were returning they encountered a 

 large white bear, which fought with them while 

 " four glasses ramie out," and swam away with 

 a hatchet which had been " struck into her 

 back ;" the ferocious animal was, however, killed 

 at last, and was found to be thirteen feet in 



length. 



In consequence of this formidable encounter 

 the island was named Bear Island ; but this 

 was, a few years afterwards, changed to Cherie 

 Island, as will be seen in advance. 



