1596. 



246 BARENTZ' THIRD VOYAGE. 



A d. from the squeezing together of the floes and the 

 disruption of the bergs. His crew were also 

 much annoyed by bears, which were very daring 

 and numerous, and frequently proved most un- 

 welcome visitors to parties which were despatched 

 from the vessel, and chanced to be unarmed. 

 Indeed, their encounters with these ferocious 

 animals were always attended with hazard, even 

 to the boats of the vessel, which they could in an 

 instant upset by placing their paws upon the 

 gunwale. Nor were the crew at all times safe 

 on board the ship, as the bears sometimes climbed 

 the berg to which she was fastened, and, on more 

 than one occasion, the seamen on her deck were 

 forced to stand upon the defensive against their 

 attacks. Amidst all these difficulties Barentz 

 worked his way along the west side of Nova 

 Zembla, and reached the northeast extremity of 

 the island on the 16th August. Here some of the 

 crew went on shore ; and, on ascending a hill, they 

 perceived the land trend away to the southeast, 

 and, to their great satisfaction, observed a clear 

 sea in the east. So great was their joy at this 

 welcome discovery, that they "knew not how 

 they should get soon enough on board to certifie 

 to William Barentz thereof." The ship was 

 still embayed in ice ; but at the end of the 

 third day, August 19th, they succeeded in reach- 



