leave his comfortable home and his friends for such an undertaking. The States-General were induced to promise that they would give two thousand pounds and some valuable privileges to the owners of the ships that could find the way to China. Some Amsterdam merchants fitted out two small ships, and William Barends, J. Ryp, and Heemskerk, who undertook to guide the expedition, now set about providing themselves with those things which they would require on a journey which they now knew must be exceedingly difficult and perhaps fatal. They bought a great quantity of salted meat and dried fish, three hundred barrels of flour and ships' biscuits, ten barrels of cheese, bacon, oil, wine, and also some parcels of broadcloth, velvet, and other manufactures, which they thought might be acceptable to the foreign people. It was somewhat difficult to find sailors, but Heemskerk was now so well known as a man of honour, piety, and knowledge that they at last succeeded in getting together a good crew. And a good crew it was beyond any doubt. A braver, hardier, or finer set of men I do not think ever trod the deck.

On the 10th of May, 1596, the two ships sailed from Amsterdam, accompanied by the prayers and blessings of their friends. The first three weeks presented nothing worthy of note. But during the night of the 1st of June, as Heemskerk was lying in bed, one of the men who had the watch on deck came. softly into his cabin and called him.

'There's something the matter with the sun, sir.' 'With the sun!' exclaimed Heemskerk, rubbing his eyes; 'what can be the matter?'

'He won't go down, sir,' replied the man; 'it is past midnight, and he is still above the horizon!'

It was certainly very light in the cabin for midnight, and on going on deck there was the sun just peeping above the horizon, as if he would say, 'I'm looking at you.' From that day for six weeks they never had an hour's darkness.

Three days afterwards they saw something more startling still. It had been snowing slightly, so that at one time the sun was obscured. When the snow ceased everybody uttered an exclamation of surprise, for there, before them, they saw not one but three suns, several rainbows with the most gorgeous colours crossing each other round these, while the largest and actual sun looked as though he stood upside down. The men gazed at each other in astonishment, and thought they had reached some enchanted land, but Heemskerk, who was on deck, explained to them the mystery, so that, although they saw it more than once afterwards, they were no longer astonished at the sight.

The following day their ship was surrounded with ice; as far as their eyes could reach the water was covered with the white and glittering substance. From that moment it never left them for eight months; but as Heemskerk and Barends were prepared for it, they steered through it manfully, and

braced themselves for the hard battle with the cold enemy which they knew they must now fight. Knowing exactly which way they had to go, they steered into the midst of it; but as they came more and more north, they began to perceive that their enemy was stronger than they had bargained for. The ice, which had hitherto been flaky and thin, became compact and firm. Towards the end of July the icebergs -vast mountains more than a hundred feet above and two hundred feet under the water-came sailing down upon them like immense giants, ready to crush their tiny vessel to pieces. At night, when the wind howled, and the small ice bumped against the side of the ship, when the large bergs creaked, and tore and split up with terrific and horrible sounds, and when the bears could be heard growling ashore, the poor sailors lay in their hammocks trembling with cold and fright, and wishing they were well out of it, and at home.

It was now the middle of August. They had already been away for three months, but they had not come one mile nearer the end they sought. The ice was increasing in size, the cold was becoming intense, they were frequently surrounded by a dense fog, and whenever they went on shore they had to fight with bears, until at last some of the men went to Heemskerk, and asked him respectfully to let them go home. To this he consented, but it was now too late. On the last day of August, early in the morning, they found that during the night the ice had

come round them everywhere, They tried all they could to get away; they rowed, they tugged, they hoisted all their sails, but in vain. The huge masses of ice closed round them, the ship creaked and groaned, went first over on one side and then on the other, as though it would burst and split, and fall asunder. When evening came they were immovably fixed, with the ice for miles and miles around, and hundreds of miles from any human being to help them,

What was to be done? In this terrible hour everybody looked to Heemskerk and Barends. These noble men had worked as hard as the rest, directing the united efforts, running up the mast to get a better view, or flying from bow to stern to encourage the men; but it was all of no avail. The night was passed in anxious watching, the ice groaning and creaking and wedging closer. Part of the company had lugged the boats on to the ice with some barrels of biscuits and wine. Over these they were obliged to watch all night, and burn a large fire, as the bears were prowling round, ready to seize them all. Next morning their last hope died away. The ice had become like a rock, and the ship was not to be moved, There was nothing for it but to build a hut and pass the winter, until warmer weather should come and liberate the ships. To pass more than half a year in the company of bears without seeing any friends, or hearing any music save the creaking of the ice-to live in this glaring wilderness of whiteness, with no food but biscuits and salted meat, seemed indeed

a horrible idea! But not a murmur was heard. Heemskerk cheered them up, and told them that it was God's will, and that it was now their duty to do the best under the circumstances. So they set about building their hut. Happily enough a couple of men who had gone inland reported that about two miles further on there were large quantities of fallen trees which they could use. With incredible labour and diligence they dragged these trees over four miles of rock, snow, and ice on rude sledges to their ship, and began to build their hut. It was made large enough for the whole party, with very thick walls and floor. An empty barrel was put on the top for a chimney, and the berths for sleeping were made as cosy as possible.

Heemskerk pointed out that it would be well to make some large space for their firewood inside the hut, as they might possibly be snowed in altogether for days. When the men heard this they looked at each other in blank amazement, but they acted on the suggestion, and it was well that they did so. Heemskerk also managed to turn their enemies the bears to some good use. These monsters were always lurking about the ship and hut, to seize any of the men unawares, so that they were all compelled to work with their arms lying beside them, ready to fly to each other's assistance. Hitherto they had merely killed the animals and preserved the hides, but as Heemskerk saw that the days would become very short and the nights very long, and that the oil

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