As the weather remained fair, we went out into the open air daily.
Our usual resort was a hill about a half mile distant, from which we
brought stones to our hut, and heated them, in order to warm our beds.
It now grew brighter every day, and we were soon able to amuse
ourselves by shooting with a cross-bow, using for a mark the top of
our snowy flag-staff, which, until now, we had been unable to see.
Indeed, we took exercise in any way possible, and endeavored by
throwing, running, and other gymnastic sports, to restore strength and
suppleness to our half frozen limbs. The foxes, in capturing whom we
had formerly been so busily engaged, now suddenly vanished, a sure
sign of the re-appearance of the bears. These dangerous beasts soon
visited us again, and the war against them was renewed; they evidently
came from some more southerly climate, where they had been passing the
long winter, as they were very fat. They often endeavored to break
open the door of the hut, and one of them even clambered upon the
roof, and endeavored to get inside through the hole we had made to
allow the smoke to escape; it required the united energies of all of
us to defeat his intentions.

"The 27th of January was a sad day for us, for on it one of our party
died. He had been sick at the building of the hut, and we had been
obliged to convey him to it on a sled. We buried him in the snow, with
a prayer, and held a funeral feast to his honor; but we soon recovered
our wonted flow of spirits, as we were now confidently expecting a
speedy release from the wretched situation in which we had been
placed.

"The cold continued unbroken for three months longer, although it was
not so severe as formerly. Our provisions now gave out, and on the 3rd
of May we cooked our last piece of pork. During the latter part of May
we began to make preparations for our journey, and as we found our
ship was no longer sea-worthy, we dug out the shallop and boat, which
had been protected by the deep snow. We spent all the month of May in
mending and fitting out these two vessels. Whilst we were prosecuting
this work, we were more than once in great danger of being torn to
pieces by the bears. We shot a great many of them, but it happened we
found them more dangerous when dead than when alive. Being greatly in
want of food we cooked a liver of one of them, and found it very
palatable, but all of us fell sick in consequence, and some were so
very ill that their lives we