RETURN OF THE SUN. 317 



being indicated by chance as the Lord of Nova Zembla. On the 

 8th, the twilight was observed to be slightly lengthening, and, 

 though the cold increased with the returning sun, they bore it 

 with cheerfulness. They noticed a tinge of red in the atmo- 

 sphere, which spoke of the revival of nature. They visited the 

 ship, and found the ice a foot high in the hold : they hardly 

 expected ever to see her float again. The difficulty of obtain- 

 ing fuel was now such, that many of the men thought it would 

 be easier and shorter to lie down and die than make such dread- 

 ful efforts to prolong life. To save wood during the daytime, 

 they played snow-ball, or ran, or wrestled, to keep up the circu- 

 lation. 



On the 24th of January, Gerard de Veer declared he had 

 seen the edge of the sun: Barentz, who did not expect the 

 return of the luminary for fourteen days, was incredulous, and 

 the cloudy state of the weather during the succeeding three 

 days prevented the bets which were made upon the subject from 

 being settled. On the 27th, they buried one of their number in 

 a snow grave seven feet deep, having dug it with some difficulty, 

 the diggers being constantly obliged to return to the fire. One 

 of the men remarking that, even were the house completely 

 blocked up fifteen feet deep, they could yet get out by the chim- 

 ney, the captain climbed up the chimney, and a sailor ran out 

 to see if he succeeded. He rushed back, saying he had seen 

 the sun. Everybody hastened forth and "saw him, in his entire 

 roundness," just above the horizon. It was then decided that 

 de Veer had seen the edge on the 24th, and they "all rejoiced 

 together, praising God loudly for the mercy." 



Another season of snow now set in, while, at the same time, 

 the ice that bound the ship began to break up, so that the 

 men feared she would escape and float away while they were 

 blockaded in the house. They were obliged to make themselves 

 shoes of worn-out fox-skin caps, as the leather was frozen as 

 hard as horn. On the night of the 6th of April, a bear as- 



