s the end of November, one of us wishing to leave
the hut, found the door tightly closed by the snow, and was obliged to
dig through it. This work we had to repeat daily, or otherwise we
should have been completely buried. On the 16th of November, we found
that we had used all the fuel that was in the hut, and were therefore,
obliged to dig out of the snow the rest of what we had gathered for
use, and bring it into our dwelling. We worked alternately in couples,
and had to make all the haste we could, for in spite of fox-skins and
extra clothing, we were not able to endure the cold long. Until the
29th of December, we experienced dreadful weather; snow fell in
abundance, and for three days we were unable to leave the hut. On the
evening of the fourth day, it moderated somewhat, and one of the
sailors ventured to make a hole through the wall, near to the door,
and creep through it in order to see how things stood without. He came
back pretty soon and told us that the snow was piled up higher than
the hut, and that it was just as cold as ever; he said that if he had
not returned, his ears would have been frozen. On the 29th of
December, some of the men dug the door free again, and made a kind of
a tunnel through the snow, out of which we emerged as from a cellar.
But all our trouble was in vain, for the next day another fall of snow
blocked up the door, and made us prisoners again. Stormy days were the
more unendurable, as the fire would not burn, but filled the hut with
smoke. At such times we commonly lay in our beds, which like the walls
of the hut, were covered with a thick coating of ice, whenever the
fire did not burn brightly. Whilst in this unpleasant situation, one
of us happened to remember that there was a good store of coals on
board the vessel, and the most hardy of the party immediately made an
attempt to bring them to the hut, and after great exertions, succeeded
in their attempt. We immediately kindled a good fire, and for the
first time an agreeable warmth spread through the room. In order
better to retain it, we stopped up the hole we had made to let the
smoke escape, and merrier than usual, went to bed and began chatting
together; but soon, giddiness and then stupefaction attacked us, and
had not one of the party had the presence of mind to crawl to the
door and open it, we would soon have been suffocated by the poisonous
gas which came from the coal. Thus ended the year 1596. The next year
commenced wit