v.] 



CHASE OF A POLAR BEAR. 



179 



thrown round his neck had fastened in the rudder. A sailor 

 taking courage, now_ went aft and killed the bear Aviththe stroke 

 of an axe. The skin was sent to Amsterdam. On account of 

 this occurrence the place was called " Bear Cape." 



Barents sailed on towards the north and north-east, past the 

 place which he called Cruys Eylandt (Cross Island) ^ and Cape 

 jSTassau, a name which has been retained in recent maps, to the 

 latitude of 77" 55', which was reached on the ~ July. Here 

 from the mast-top an ice-field was seen, which it was impossible 

 to_ see beyond, which compelled Barents to turn. However, he 

 still remained in these northern regions, waiting for a better 

 state of the ice, till the '~^^, when the vessel was due west 



CAPTURE OF A POLAR BEAR. 



After G. de Veer. 



of a promontory situated in latitude 77'^ north, which was 

 named Ice Cape. Some gold-glittering stones were found here 

 on the ground. Such ^finds have played a not inconsiderable 

 role in the history of Arctic voyages, and shiploads of worthless 

 ore have on several occasions been brought home. On the 

 loth^^^ while sailing among the Orang^e Islands, they saw 200 



31st July ' ^ <^ o 'J 



walruses on land. The sailors attacked them with axes and 

 lances, without killing a single walrus, but they succeeded 

 during the attempt to kill them in striking out several tusks, 

 which they carried home with them. 



Convinced that he could not reach the intended goal by this 



^ From two large crosses which were found erected on the island. This 

 shows that the Russians had also explored the north part of Novaya 

 Zeralya before the West-Europeans. 



N 2 



