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108 THIRD VOYAGE OF THE DUTCH
neceflary therefore to colle&t together what wood they could, both from without and
within, and ufe even the fmall {ticks under their feet. ‘The weather was finer cn the
twenty-fecond: they prepared a fledge to fetch fome wood, but found it fo covered
with {now that it was impoflible to difengage it; thus they were obliged to proceed
much farther, whence neverthelefs they brought but little, and with fuch great labour,
that returning they all loft their fpirits, as the ‘feverity of the cold was great, the labour
of dragging the wood fatiguing, and the flrength of the labourers exhaufted by their
exertions, and the inconveniences they then experienced ; but, in fhort, it was however
indifpenfable either to bring wood or perifh with cold.
When they approached the hut they perceived the waters open in different places
of the fea, which afforded them-fome confolation, and awakened the hopes of a fpeedy
departure.
On the twenty-eighth they again went to the number of ten to fetch a fledge full of
wood, the eleventh of their company not being able to affift them, becaufe he had loft
his great toe by the feverity of the cold; and this labour was not lefs painful than the
other.
On the eighth of March they faw no more ice on the N.E. fide in the fea, from
which they concluded that there was a great fea to the N. E. of them.
On the ninth they were able to fee {till farther, and perceived all the fea to the N.E.
open; but on the fide of ‘l’artary there yet remained ice, whence they concluded that
the fea was of no great breadth on that fide, even when the weather was perfectly
ferene : they imagined they difcovered lands, and they fhewed to one another to theS.
and S. E. of their hut, a land which appeared to them like little mountains, and in the
fame manner as profpeéts do when they firft prefent themfelves.
On the fourteenth there arofe a wind from the E. N. E., fo violent and cold, that the
fea was again frozen as hard as ever. This fevere weather occafioned thofe to relapfe,
who having been ill, and growing better, had been.a little too much expofed during the
milder weather. From this day the cold continually increafed, and was even {till greater
and more infupportable than ever. ‘This contrary weather, fo little expected, dilpirited
the whole crew in fuch a manner, that they could fearcely confole themfelves with the
hopes of a fpeedy thaw, which the feafon feemed to promife.
During the night of the fixth of April a bear approached the hut: notwithftanding
their endeavours to kill him with mufket and firelock fhots, they were not able to take
aim on account of the fog ; and befides the powder was fo damp that it would not take
fire, and their guns almoft always failed to fire. The bear defcended by the fteps in the
{now to the door, and attempted to enter; but the matter placing himfelf behind it,
kept it fo well clofed that the bear retired.
Neverthelefs he returned two hours after and climbed to the top of the hut, where he
made fo dreadful a roaring that they were all alarmed: he advanced towards the chimney,
and made fuch great exertions to overturn it, that they feared he would accomplith it :
he tore the fail with which it was furrounded, and having made an extraordinary ravage
he at length departed. oy
On the eighth and ninth the wind blew from the S. W. and the ice difappeared ; but
on the tenth a violent wind from the N. EF. brought it back again, and filled the fea,
heaping the flakes upon one another, fo that about the coaft there were yet more and
higher heaps than before.
‘This fevere weather continued till the fifteenth, when they vifited their veffel: they
found it in the fame condition they had left it. Returning they faw a bear who ap-
proached them; they immediately placed themfelves in aftate of defence, and the bear
as.
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