October 30—Ice everywhere covers the river. There is such a heavy fall of snow, it is impossible for the men to go into the open country without snowshoes.
November 14—Last night a large black dog came to the ship across the ice but the man on the watch shot him by mistake for a black fox. I should have been glad to have caught him alive and sent him home with a present of goods for his owner.
November 27—All the glass bottles broken to pieces by the frost.
December 10—The moon appeared in an eclipse. It was surrounded by a large circle and a cross appeared therein.
December 12—One of my surgeons died and his corpse had to remain unburied for two days because the frost was so terrible no one dared go on shore.
December 24, 25—Christmas Eve, I gave the men wine and beer, which they had to boil, for it was frozen to the bottom. All very jolly but no one offended with as much as a word. Holy Christmas Day we all celebrated as a Christian’s duty is. We had a sermon, and after the sermon we gave the priest an offertory according to ancient custom. There was not much money among the men, but they gave what they had, some white fox skins for the priest to line his coat.
January 1, New Year’s Day—Tremendous frost. I ordered a couple of pints of wine to the bowl of every man to keep up spirits.
January 10—The priest and the other surgeon took to their beds. A violent sickness rages among the men. My head cook died.
January 21—Thirteen of us down with sickness. I asked the surgeon, who was lying mortally ill, whether any remedy might be found in his chest. He answered he had used as many remedies as he knew and if God would not help, there was no remedy.