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100 THIRD VOYAGE OF THE DUTCH
that it was neceflary to tranfport the kitchen articles to the lower part of the hold, every
thing freezing in the cook room.
On the twenty-third the carpenter died, andon the twenty-fourth was buried in a
cleft ofa mountain, near a water fall, for the earth was fo frozen that it was impoffible
to dig a grave. On the twenty-fifth the rafters were fixed, and the building began to
affume its form. On the twenty-fixth the wind blew from the weft and the fea was
free, butthe veffel not being difengaged, the crew only beheld this mitigation of the
weather with vexation.
The whole of the crew did not confift at that time of more than fixteen men, of
whom fome one was frequently fick. On the twenty-feventh it froze fo hard, that one
of the crew being at work putting a nail into his mouth, as is the cuftom of workmen,
the {kin came away when he drew it out, and the blood followed. The cold latterly be-
came {fo intenfe, that it was only an extreme defire of preferving life, which could have
enabled them to fupport the hardfhip of their labour.
On the thirtieth the wind was E. and E.S.E., and it fnowed fo hard on the preceding
night, and all this day, that the height of the {now prevented their going in queft of
wood. ‘They made a great fire along the building to thaw the earth, and raife it around
like a rampart in order to form a better inclofure, but in vain, for the earth was frozen
fo hard and to fuch a depth’that it was impoflible to foften it, and if they had been deter-
mined to accomplifh it in all events, it would have confumed too great a quantity of wood.
On the fecond of Oétober the hut was in an advanced ftate, and near it was raifed a
May-pole of frozen fnow. On the fifth the fea was obferved to be open as far as the
eye could extend, notwithftanding which the ice about the veffel did not melt ; fo that
it feemed as if they had built a wall on purpofe to raife it two or three feet, and it
was found that the water in this part was frozen to the bottom, that is to fay, to the
depth of three fathomsand a half. On the fame day the front cabin was cut up, and
the planks were ufed to cover the hut, in form of a roof with two flopings: which
was nearly completed on the fame day. On the feventh the aftermoft cabin was cut
up, to make a fence around the hut.
The wind, which was violent during the night of the feventh, continued all the fol-
lowing day, and brought fo much fnow, that it feemed very probable that thofe who
fhould be expofed to the air, would have been fuffocated. Befides it would have been
totally impoflible to walk as far as the length of a fhip, and to fuffer the rigour of the
cold, and the inconvenience of the air, during that time.
On the fifteenth the air became a little milder, fo that they were enabled to leave the
fhip. One of the crew being on fhore met with a bear, which he did not perceive till he
was near tohim. He turned back, and fled with all hafte towards the veflel. ‘The
bear purfued him, and arriving at the fpot where they had placed the other bear which
had been killed a fhort time before to freeze, and was completely covered with fnow,
excepting one of his paws that was raifed in the air, he {topped there; which gave the
failor an opportunity of reaching the veffel and faving his life.
As he was very much frightened on entering the fhip, he could utter nothing but
a bear,a bear. The other failors having afcended above, in order to fire on the bear,
could fearcely perceive any thing, on account of the fmoke in the veffel, while they
were fhut up in it; and which they could never have believed poflible to fupport, if it
had been to gain all the wealth of the world, if they had not been influenced to pre-
ferve their lives, which they would foon have loft, by the incredible feverity of the
cold, and the inconvenience of the fnow. ‘The bear did not wait till their eyes were
free, and retired without being feen. ‘
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