temperature under the Pole, being the time of the
Sun's northern declination, half a year together, and one whole day
(considering that the sun's elevation surmounteth not twenty-three
degrees and thirty minutes), can have power to dissolve such monstrous
and huge ice, comparable to great mountains, except by some other force,
as by swift currents and tides, with the help of the said day of half a
year.

Before we came within the making of these lands, we tasted cold storms,
insomuch that it seemed we had changed with winter, if the length of the
days had not removed us from that opinion.

At our first coming, the straits seemed to be shut up with a long mure of
ice, which gave no little cause of discomfort unto us all; but our
general (to whose diligence, imminent dangers and difficult attempts
seemed nothing in respect of his willing mind for the commodity of his
prince and country), with two little pinnaces prepared of purpose, passed
twice through them to the east shore, and the islands thereunto adjacent;
and the ship, with the two barques, lay off and on something farther into
the sea from the danger of the ice.

Whilst he was searching the country near the shore, some of the people of
the country showed themselves, leaping and dancing, with strange shrieks
and cries, which gave no little admiration to our men. Our general,
desirous to allure them unto him by fair means, caused knives and other
things to be proffered unto them, which they would not take at our hands;
but being laid on the ground, and the party going away, they came and
took up, leaving something of theirs to countervail the same. At the
length, two them, leaving their weapons, came down to our general and
master, who did the like to them, commanding the company to stay, and
went unto them, who, after certain dumb signs and mute congratulations,
began to lay hands upon them, but they deliverly escaped, and ran to
their bows and arrows and came fiercely upon them, not respecting the
rest of our company, which were ready for their defence, but with their
arrows hurt divers of them. We took the one, and the other escaped.

Whilst our general was busied in searching the country, and those islands
adjacent on the east shore, the ships and barques, having great care not
to put far into the sea from him, for that he had small store of
victuals, were forced to abide in a cruel tempest, chancing in the night
amongst and in the thickest of the ice, whi