in high Northern Latitudes, 107 
companies of Dutchmen feem to have done little 
during their melancholy abode, but drink brandy, 
and fmoke tobacco over their fires. On the other 
hand. Captain James’s men were very fufficiently 
employed in the laborious tafk of building their 
pinnace, which, notwithftanding their weak and 
fickly ftate, they had nearly completed, before 
they found the work unneceflary. The three 
Ruffians on Eaft Spitzbergen who furvived, are 
exprefsly faid, to have ufed much exercife by way 
of prefervative ; as alio, according to Counlellor 
Muller, do thofe who winter on Nova Zembla, 
A difficulty, however, here occurs ; which is, that 
we know it to be the cuftom of the inhabitants of 
the very northern regions, to fpend their long 
winter night almoft entirely under ground j 
feeming, in that refpeft, to imitate the animals of 
the country, which lie torpid in their holes and 
dens during the winter. From the journal of the 
eight Englifhmen, too, I fnould judge, that they 
were inattive during the greateft part of the time 
that the fun was invifible. But it is to be remarked, 
that in thefe inftances, what I confider as the 
moft powerful caufe of the fcurvy, the ufe of falted 
provifions, did not exift ; and therefore lefs power¬ 
ful prefervatives would be necefiary. Further, 
the Engliffi crew had a very icantv allowance of 
provifion of any kind ; which would, doubtlefs, 
take off from the neceffity of much exercife. 
1 hus, the animals which flcep out the winter, 
take 
