272 GREENLAND. 



tending also to stow the rest of our firing over them, so to 

 make the outer Tent the warmer, and to keepe withall the 

 snow from dryving through the tylcs into the Tent, which 

 snow would otherwise have covered every thing, and have 

 hindered us in comming at what wee wanted. When the 

 weather was now grown colde, and the dayes short (or 

 rather no dayes at all) wee made bold to stave some emptie 

 Caske that were there left the yeare before, to the quantitie 

 of a hundred tunne at least. We also made use of some 

 planks and of two old Coolers wherein they cool'd their 

 Oyle) and of whatsoever might well bee spared, without 

 damnifying of the voyage the next yeare. Thus, having 

 gotten together all the firing that wee could possibly make, 

 except we would make spoyle of the Shallops and Coolers 

 that were there, which might easily have overthrowne the 

 next yeares voyage, to the great hinderance of the Worship- 

 full Companie, whose servants wee being, were every way 

 carefull of their profite. Comparing, therefore, the small 

 quantitie of our wood, together with the coldnesse of the 

 weather, and the length of time that there wee were likely 

 to abide, we cast about to husband our stocke as thriftily 

 as wee could, devising to trie a new conclusion. Our tryall 

 was this : When wee rak't up our fire at night, with a good 

 quantitie of ashes and of embers, wee put into the midd'st 

 of it a piece of Elmen wood — where, after it had laine six- 

 teene houres, we at our opening of it found great store of 

 fire upon it, whereupon, wee made a common practice of it 

 ever after. It never went out in eight moneths together, or 

 thereabouts. 



Having thus provided both our house and firing ; upon 

 the twelfth of September, a small quantity of drift yce came 

 driving to and fro in the Sownd. Early in the morning 

 therefore wee arose, and looking every where abroad, we 

 at last espyed two Sea-horses lying a-slcepe upon a piece 

 of yce : presently thereupon, taking up aii old Harping Iron 



