sometimes had
entertainments, at which the cheerfulness of the partakers had to
make up for the meagreness of the fare. After the return of the sun
the bears again came very close, so that there was a number of
hunting adventures with them, all of which came off successfully.
Several bears made themselves at home in the vessel abandoned by the
crew, casting everything about, and broke up the hatch of the
kitchen, covered as it was with deep snow. An attempt to eat bear's
liver resulted in those that ate of it becoming very ill, and after
recovery renewing their skin over the whole body. Once during severe
cold, when pitcoal was used to warm the building, all the men in it
were like to have died of the fumes. On one or two occasions, for
instance on the 25/15th February, so much snow had collected outside
the door, that it was necessary to go out by the chimney. For the
preservation of their health the Dutch often took a vapour bath in a
barrel fitted up for the purpose.

On the 7th May/27th April the first small birds were seen, and on
the 25/15th May Barents declared that if the vessel were not got off
before the end of the month, they should return in boats, which were
therefore immediately got ready. This was, however, attended with
great difficulty, because most of the crew had during the course of
the winter become exceedingly weak, evidently from scurvy. After the
equipment of the boats had been completed and they had been properly
laden with provisions, the Dutch at last started on the 23rd/13th June.

A man had died on the 6th Feb./27th Jan. At beginning of the boat
voyage Barents himself was very ill, and six days after, on the
30/20th June, he died, while resting with his companions on a large
floe, being compelled to do so by the drift-ice. On the same day one
of the crew died, and on the 15/5th July another.

On the 7th Aug./28 July returning Arctic explorers at St. Lawrens'
Bay fell in with two vessels manned by Russian hunters, whose
acquaintance the Dutchmen had made the year before, and who now
received them with great friendliness and pity for their sufferings.
They continued their voyage in their small open boats, and all
arrived in good health and spirits at Kola, where they were received
with festivities by the inhabitants. It gave them still greater joy
to meet here Jan Cornelisz. Rijp, from whom they had parted at Bear
Island the preceding year, and of whose voyage we know only that he
intended