88 Literary and Philosophical Society, 



continued till they died. At the approach of spring, they 

 were all highly scorbutic, and their mouths were so ex- 

 tremely sore, that they were unable to eat anything but 

 bread soaked in water. At last, their bread was ex- 

 hausted, and the few survivors chiefly subsisted on a kind 

 of berry dug out from beneath the snow. "When the 

 spring was far advanced, no fresh vegetables could yet be 

 found. In June, the captain crawled out of his hut, and 

 found the whole company reduced to two men besides 

 himself. These melancholy relics supported themselves in 

 the best manner they were able, and recovered their 

 strength by feeding on a certain root they discovered, and 

 some game caught in hunting. At length they embarked 

 in the smaller ship, and after undergoing numberless 

 dangers and hardships, returned home in safety. 



'In the year 1633 two trials were made by the Dutch 

 of establishing wintering-places at their northern fisheries ; 

 the one at Spitzbergen, the other on the coast of Green- 

 land, in latitudes about J']° or "jZ"". Seven sailors were left 

 at each, amply furnished with every article of clothing, 

 provision, and utensils thought necessary or useful in such 

 a situation. The journals of both companies are preserved. 

 * That of the men in Greenland takes notice, that on 

 September i8th the allowance of brandy began to be 

 served out to each person. On October 9th they began 

 to make a constant fire to sit by. About this time, 

 it is remarked that they experienced a considerable 

 change in their bodies, with giddiness in their heads. 

 They now and then killed a bear ; but their common diet 

 was salt meat. In March they were all very ill of the 

 scurvy ; and on April 1 6th the first man died, and all the 

 rest were entirely disabled, but one person. This poor 



