IN THE YEAR 1613. 
27 
Taking a course more northerly than those who had 
preceded him, he came first upon a small island, in lati¬ 
tude 74° 3CK, to which he gave the name of Bear Island. 
This, upon English maps, is Cherie Island; so called by 
Stephen Bennet, seven years later, after his patron, Aider- 
man Sir Francis Cherie, a distinguished member of the 
Muscovy Company. It became a place of great resort 
for the oil and ivory of the walrus, until the supply was 
exhausted, or found more abundant elsewhere. Con¬ 
tinuing northwards, the Dutch again saw land, in lati¬ 
tude 79° 49'; which was supposed by them to be a part 
of Greenland, but which is now known by the name of 
Spitzbergen. 
Returning to Bear Island, a division of opinion there 
occurred among the officers of the two vessels, and led 
to a separation. One of the ships, with Barents as 
pilot, went to Nova Zembla; where, being caught in the 
ice on the north-eastern side of the island, the Dutch 
passed a memorable winter. The incidents and suffer¬ 
ings attending this earliest sojourn by civilized men 
through the cold and darkness of an arctic night, whose 
experiences are recorded, if delineated with the graphic 
power of Kane, would form one of the most interest¬ 
ing narratives in maritime history. As told by De Veer, 
who was present, it is still, perhaps, entitled to that 
appellation. When the light and comparative warmth 
returned, finding it impossible to extricate their ship, 
they fitted up two boats, and, with great difficulty and 
danger, succeeded in reaching Kora in Lapland; where, 
to their great joy, they found their comrades. Barents, 
however, had perished by the way. Exhausted by ill- 
