be impossible to do such a piece of work,
from the severity of the weather, and the quantity of snow. The house
ought to have been erected when they had first fixed their station
there, but now it was too late, and Hudson had refused to have it done
at first. The carpenter's refusal to perform the work excited the anger
of the master to such a degree, that he drove him violently from the
cabin, using the most opprobrious language, and finally threatening to
hang him.

Greene appeared to take sides with the carpenter, which made Hudson so
angry, that he gave the gown, which Greene had coveted so much, to
Billet, the mate; telling Greene, with much abusive language, that, as
not one of his friends at home would trust him to the value of twenty
shillings, he could not be expected to trust him for the value of the
gown; and that, as for wages, he should have none if he did not behave
better. These bitter taunts sunk deep into Greene's heart, and no doubt
incited him to further mutinous conduct.

The sufferings of the men were not less, during the winter, than they
had had reason to apprehend. Many of them were made lame, probably from
chilblains and freezing their feet; and Pricket complains in the
Journal, written after the close of the voyage, that he was still
suffering from the effects of this winter. They were, however, much
better supplied with provisions than they had anticipated. For three
months they had such an abundance of white partridges about the ship,
that they killed a hundred dozen of them; and, on the departure of
these, when spring came, they found a great plenty of swans, geese,
ducks, and other waterfowl.

Hudson was in hopes, when he saw these wild fowl, that they had come to
breed in these regions, which would have rendered it much easier to
catch them; but he found that they went still further north for this
purpose. Before the ice had broken up, these birds too had disappeared,
and the horror of starvation began to stare them in the face. They were
forced to search the hills, woods, and valleys, for anything that might
afford them subsistence; even the moss growing on the ground, and
disgusting reptiles, were not spared. Their sufferings were somewhat
relieved at last, by the use of a bud, which is described as "full of
turpentine matter." Of these buds the surgeon made a decoction, which he
gave the men to drink, and also applied them hot to their bodies,
wherever any part was affected. This was