244 BARENTZ' THIRD VOYAGE. 



a.d. of geese, some of which they knocked down 



1596. 



with stones. These geese are described as being 

 red, but there must, I think, be here some mis- 

 take in the translation, as we know of no geese 

 of that colour visiting Sjntzbergen since that 

 period. 



Barentz was struck with the luxuriance of 

 the soil of Spitzbergen, as compared with that 

 of Nova Zembla, and remarks,* that "although 

 in this land, which lyeth under 80° and more, 

 there groweth leaues and grasse," and that 

 there are therein "such beasts, as eate grasse, as 

 harts, buckes, and such like beast es as live there- 

 on ; yet in Nova Zembla, under 76°, there 

 groweth neither leaves nor grasse ; nor any beasts 

 that eate grasse or leaves Hue therein, but such 

 beasts as eate fleshe, as bears and foxes." This 

 remark will, hereafter, appear to be incorrect. 

 The comparative mildness of the climate of 

 Spitzbergen, however, has been remarked by 

 almost every person who has visited it, and forms 

 a subject of interesting investigation for the 

 curious inquirer. 



Barentz remained two days at anchor, and then 

 steered to the north-west, in the hopes of being 

 able to extend his discoveries in that direction, 

 but he was stopped by that great barrier of ice 



Purchas, v. iii. p. 458. 



