[530] Huijt—literally “hide”, but used in the sense of “body”. [↑]
[531] There is an omission here in the original. The following words require to be supplied:—“which substracted from the said elevation, there rested 14 degrees.” [↑]
[532] With the sun’s declination + 14° 8′,7, and refraction 1′8, the corrected calculation will give 76° 2′,5; or, deducting 16′ for the sun’s semi-diameter, 75° 46′,5. [↑]
[533] See page 168, note 2. [↑]
[534] Opt hooghste was. An oversight of the author. He meant to say that the sun was on the meridian in the north; where, of course, it must have been at the lowest, instead of the highest. [↑]
[535] Had the latitude of the place of observation been really more than 76° the sun ought to have been visible above the horizon at midnight on the 28th April, as its declination was then already more than 14°; and as on the 30th April its declination was 14° 55′, it ought to have had its lower edge full 39′ above the horizon at the time when at the place of observation it is said to have been visible “just above the horizon”. This is without taking into account the refraction, which under ordinary circumstances, would have made its visible altitude about 36′ more. Hence it is quite clear that they were not so far north as 76°. [↑]
[536] Coockten wy onse laetste vleysch—we cooked the last of our meat (beef). [↑]
[537] Maer hadt maer een manghel, dattet niet langher deuren wilde—only it had but one fault, which was, that it would not last any longer. Whenever a joke is intended by the author,—who, although a serious, matter-of-fact Dutchman, was evidently a bit of a wag,—it is, by some fatality, sure to be spoilt by the translator. [↑]
[538] Te jancken—to hanker after. [↑]
[539] Ende also de beste spijs, als vleysch ende grutten ende anders, ons ontbrack—and as our best food, such as beef, barley, and such like, failed us. Gort or grutten, for porridge, form an important item in the supplies of Dutch seamen. When the Dutch whale-fishery was in a more flourishing state, the sailors of the vessels employed in it used to be saluted by the boys in the streets of Amsterdam with the cry of—Traan-bok! Stroop in je gort tot Pampus toe.—“Train-oil Billy! Treacle in your porridge as far as Pampus;” meaning, that after they had passed Pampus (see page 13, note 5), which is only two hours from Amsterdam, they would, during the rest of the voyage, get their porridge without treacle. [↑]