Note 216 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 10 of October the weather was somewhat fairer and the winde calmer, and [it] blew south-west and west southwest;216 and that time the water flowed two foote higher then ordinary, which wee gest to proceede from the strong217 north wind which as then had blowne. The same day the wether began to be somewhat better, so that we began to go out of our ship againe; and as one of our men went out, he chaunced to meete a beare, and was almost at him before he knew it, but presently he ranne backe againe towards the ship and the beare after him: but the beare comming to the place where before that we killed another beare and set her vpright and there let her freeze, which after was couered ouer with ice218 and yet one of her pawes reached aboue it, shee stood still, whereby our man got before her and clome219 vp into the ship in great feare, crying, a beare, a beare; which we hearing came aboue hatches220 to looke on her and to shoote at her, but we could not see her by meanes of the exceeding great smoake that had so sore termented vs while we lay vnder hatches in the foule wether, which we would not haue indured for any money; but by reason of the cold and snowy wether we were constrained to do it if we would saue our liues, for aloft in the ship221 we must vndoubtedly haue dyed. The beare staied not long there, but run away, the wind then being north-east.