Note 310 — THE THIRD VOYAGE NORTH-WARD TO THE KINGDOMES OF CATHAIA and China, in Anno 1596.

The 6 of December it was foule weather againe, with an easterly wind and extreame cold, almost not to be indured; whereupon wee lookt pittifully one vpon the other, being in great feare, that if the extremity of ye cold grew to be more and more we should all die there with cold, for that what fire soeuer we made it would not warme vs: yea, and our sack,310 which is so hotte,311 was frozen very hard, so that when [at noon] we were euery man to haue his part, we were forced to melt it in312 the fire, which we shared euery second day about halfe a pint for a man, wherewith we were forced to sustain our selues, and at other times we drank water, which agreed not well with the cold, and we needed not to coole it with snowe or ice,313 but we were forced to melt it out of the snow.