218 DISCOVERY OF SPITZBERGEN. 



Smeerenberg {Anglice, Blubber Town), in- 

 deed, arrived at such a degree of civilisation 

 and refinement, that " hot rolls " were to be 

 had every morning for breakfast ; and, if report 

 speaks true, even the charms of female society 

 were not wanting to " emoUify the manners," 

 and lighten the pockets, of the successful 

 fishers. But Smeerenberg was only a summer 

 settlement, and was always entirely abandoned 

 at the approach of winter. 



Spitzbergen (literally " sharp-topped moun- 

 tains") was discovered and named in 1596 by 

 the third expedition under William Barentz, 

 a Dutchman, and one of the most distinguished 

 navigators of the age, who was sent by the 

 States-General of Holland to try to discover 

 a north-east passage to China, a chimerical 

 project, which in those days caused the sacrifice 

 of even more lives and treasure than the search 

 after a north-west passage in later times. 

 Barentz himself, and a number of his crew, 

 lost thek lives on this expedition; and the 

 remainder only escaped by taking to their boats, 

 after passing a winter of incredible hardships 

 on the coast of Nova Zembla, where they had 

 got beset, and were compelled to abandon 

 their vessel. 



