28 VOYAGE INTO 



I mention on purpose to confute the erroneous opinions of 

 some, that believe that the before-mentioned birds come to 

 the ships as messengers, to bring the ill news of bad 

 weather. 



Yet notwithstanding, these following signs or marks com- 

 monly fortell a storm or hard weather : when great fish 

 come near to the ships in great numbers, when they play, 

 dance, rowl about, and leap out of the water, which is not 

 always playing in them, but rather their bodies are afflicted 

 with some pain or other. We saw several whales in the 

 sea that threw themselves about as if they were sick or 

 dying. 



When the sea is tempestuous, it is not to be thought that 

 it doth proceed from the sea only, but a hard and tempestu- 

 ous storm and wand followeth upon it, that sendeth the waves 

 like messengers before it, until it arriveth itself with a tem- 

 pest ; but this is not to be understood of the North Sea, but 

 only of the sea betwixt Ilitland and Spitzbergen. 



When the air is so disposed, as the stars do not only look 

 bigger, but as if they were more in number also, it is a great 

 prognostication, and often proveth true also ; it is a sign that 

 the air is full of mist, which causeth, upon changing of the 

 frost, great foggs, and a high wind follows soon after. 



At night, when the sea dasheth very much, it shines like 

 fire ; the seamen call it burning. This shining is a very 

 bright glance, like unto the lustre of a diamond. 



But when the sea shines vehemently in a dark night and 

 burns, a south or west wind followeth after it. 



At the stern of the ship where the water is cut through, 

 you see at night, very deep under water, bubbles rise and 

 break, then this shining or lustre is not there. 



Hitherto we have discoursed of the North Sea, but next 

 of the waves between Hitland and Sjntzhergo) ; near Ilitland 

 the stream runneth very swift towards the north, and it grows 

 daily colder. 



