254 BARENTZ' THIRD VOYAGE. 



a-p- sopt in wine ; and so supposing that we were 

 in our owne countrey, and amongst our friends, 

 it comforted vs, as well as if we had made a 

 great banquet in our owne house : and we also 

 made tickets, and our gunner was King of Nova 

 Zembla." 



On the 8th January the weather was more 

 moderate, and a few of the party went out to 

 examine some traps that had been set for foxes, 

 and were greatly cheered by the observing the 

 dawn of the returning sun. On the 16th there 

 was a " certaine rednesse in the side," and on 

 the 24th, contrary to the expectation of all, De 

 Veer and Jacob Hemskirke, who had gone to 

 the sea-side, observed the upper limb of the 

 sun. This was so unaccountable an occurrence 

 to them, that they ran immediately to William 

 Barentz to give him the information, but Ba- 

 rentz would not credit their statement, and 

 affirmed it to be impossible that the sun could 

 reappear for fourteen days from that period, 

 which, indeed, under ordinary circumstances, 

 would have been about the right time. De 

 Veer and Hemskirke were, however, quite posi- 

 tive of the fact, and anxiously looked out for 

 another clear day, that they might have an 

 opportunity of confirming their statements. On 

 the 27th this occurred, and at noon they had 



