ot; we have brought over on
our backs five hundred fish, and much of our bedding and clothes, which
we had to dig out of the ice.

Dec. 10.--We have been busied this past week, save on Sunday, when we
rested and performed the Sabbath duties of a Christian, in bringing
hither stores from the ship--now bearing them over firm ice, and now
wading knee-deep in half-frozen water. I will here describe the house
which we have built to shelter us withal. It is among a tuft of thick
trees, under a south bank, about a bow-shot from the seaside; it is
square, and about twenty feet every way. First we drove strong stakes
into the earth round about, which we wattled with boughs as thick as
might be, beating them down very close. At the ends we left two holes
for the light to come in at, and the same way the smoke did pass out
also. Then we cut down trees into lengths of six feet, with which we
made a pile on both sides. We left a little low door to creep into, and
a porch was before that, made with piles of wood. We next fastened a
rough tree aloft over all, upon which we laid our rafters and our roof.
On the inside, we made fast our sails round about. Now have we driven in
stakes and made us bedstead frames, about three sides of the house. We
have made our hearth in the middle of the house, and on it our fire.
This house we propose to call our mansion, as we have built two smaller
near by for our kitchen and our store-house.

Dec. 31.--Our mansion is now covered thick with snow, almost to the very
roof of it; we do not go out save we first shovel away the snow, and
then by treading, make it somewhat hard under foot. We have got our boat
ashore, and fetched up some of our provisions from the beach, with
extremity of cold and labor; and thus we concluded the old year 1631.

Jan. 2, 1632.--I observed the sun to rise like an oval along the
horizon; I called three or four to see it, the better to confirm my
judgment; and we all agreed that it was twice as long as it was broad.
We plainly perceived withal, that by degrees as it rose higher it also
recovered its soundness.

Jan. 30.--But little worthy the writing has happened to us this month.
The men grow daily weaker, and our stores less. We have three sorts of
sick men--those that cannot move nor turn themselves in their beds, who
must be tended like infants; those that are as it were crippled; and
those that are something better, but afflicted with sore mouths. These
last make shif