340 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



round Cape Tabin to India was, however, not abandoned by the persevering 

 Amsterdamers ; and, on May 16, 1596, Heemskerk, Barentz, and Cornelis Ryp 

 once more started for the north-east. Bear Island and Spitzbergen were dis- 

 covered, whereupon the ships separated, Cornelis and Heemskerk returning 

 to Holland, while Barentz, slowly making his way through the fog and ice, ad- 

 vanced to the most northern point of Nova Zembla, the crew being encouraged 

 by the tidings that from the high cliffs of Orange Island clear open water had 

 been seen to the south-east. The effort to reach this inviting channel was frus- 

 trated by the ice, which gathered about the ship as it lay near shore, and grad- 

 ually collecting under and around it, raised it far above the level of the sea. 

 All hope of return before the next summer now vanished, but these brave 

 sailors submitted with resignation to their fate, " though much grieved," says 

 Gerrit de Veer, who was himself an eye-witness of all the incidents he relates, 

 " to live there all that cold winter, which we knew would fall out to be ex- 

 tremely bitter."* Fortunately a quantity of drift-wood was found on the strand, 

 which served the Dutchmen both for the construction of a small hut and for 

 fuel. 



As early as September the ground was. frozen so hard that they tried in 

 vain to dig a grave for a dead comrade, and their cramped fingers could hardly 

 build the hut, which was the more necessary, as the vessel, cracking under the 

 pressure of the ice, gave signs of speedily breaking up altogether. By the middle 

 of October the rude dwelling was completed, and though its accommodation was 

 scanty, they were glad to take up their abode in it at once. The best place by 

 the central fire was assigned to a sick comrade, while all the rest arranged 

 their beds as best they could on shelves which had been built round the walls. 

 An examination into the state of their provisions showed the necessity of re- 

 ducing their daily rations of bread, cheese, and wine, but by setting traps they 

 caught a good many Arctic foxes, which gave them an occasional supply of 

 fresh food. The sun had now entirely taken his departure, and the long winter 

 night of the 15° 43' of latitude set in, during which snowdrifts and impetuous 

 winds confined them to their miserable hut. 



" We looked pitifully one upon the other," says De Veer, " being in great 

 fear that if the extremity of the cold grew to be more and more, we should all 

 die there of cold, for that what fire soever we made would not warm us." 



The ice was now two inches thick upon the walls, and even on the sides of 

 their sleeping cots and th^ very clothes they wore were whitened with frost. 

 Yet in the midst of all their sufferings these brave men maintained cheerful 

 hearts ; and so great was their elasticity of spirit that, remembering J anuary 5 

 was Twelfth Eve, they resolved to celebrate it as best they might. " And then," 

 says the old chronicler, " we prayed our Maister that we might be merry that 

 night, and said that we were content to spend some of the wine that night 

 which we had spared, and which was our share (one glass) every second day, 

 and whereof for certaine days we had not dranke, and so that night we made 

 merry and drew for king. And therewith we had two pounds of meal, where- 

 of we made pancakes with oyle, and every man had a white biscuit which we 

 sopt in the wine. And so supposing that we were in our owne country and 



