v.] 



BARENTS' WINTERING. 



193 



October, and it ouglit to have appeared again there on the "th 

 February. It has been supposed that the deviation arose from 

 sc»me considerable error in counting the days, but this was 

 unanimously denied by the crew who wintered.^ The bears 

 disappeared and reappeared with the sun. Instead, foxes came 

 during winter to the building, and were caught for food in 

 numbers, many on the roof of the house. In order to pass 

 the time and keep up their courage, the Dutch sometimes had 



BARENTS' HOUSE, INSIDE. 



From De Bry. 



entertainments, at which the cheerfulness of the partakers had 

 to make up for the meagreness of the fare. After the return 

 of the sun the bears again came very close, so that there was 



1 See on tliis point De Veer, leaf 25 and an unpaged leaf between pages 

 30 and 31 in Blavii Atlas Major, torn. i. That a mistake occurred in the 

 date is not possible, because the latitude was determined by solar observa- 

 tions on the 29th (19th) February, the 21st (11th) and 31st (21st) March 

 (see De Veer, 1. 27). Besides, at the correct date, the 3rd February (24th 

 January), a conjunction of Jupiter and the moon was observed, whereby 

 the difference of longitude between Ice Haven and Venice was determined 

 to be 75^ However erroneous this determination may be, it shows, 

 however, that the date was correct. 







