BARENTZ' THIRD VOYAGE. 253 



to lengthen," a pleasing recollection, which " put a.d. 



1597 



us m good comfort, and eased our paine." 



The new year set in without any relaxation 

 of the severe frost above mentioned. A 

 great deal of snow had fallen, and their house 

 was at this time completely buried, so that the 

 inmates were obliged to unhang their door and 

 cut their way out. This was undoubtedly the best 

 thing that could have happened to them, as it 

 must have rendered the apartment less penetrable 

 to the cold than any contrivance they could them- 

 selves have resorted to. The frost was, however, 

 so intense on the outside that no one dared ven- 

 ture from the house for several days together, 

 and they were occasionally greatly straitened 

 for fuel ; yet, amidst all this suffering did those 

 hardy people retain their cheerfulness, and even 

 Twelfth Day was not suffered to pass without 

 its usual festivities; for, on that night, they 

 prayed their master that they might be merrie, 

 and said, " We were content to spend some of 

 the wine that night which we had spared, and 

 which w T as our share every second day ; and 

 whereof for certayn dayes we had not drunke, 

 and so that night we made merrie, and drunke 

 to the three kings, and therewith we had two 

 pound of meale, whereof we made pancakes with 

 oyle, and every man a white bisket, which we 



