Image
The expedition members fighting a polar bear, 9 July 1594
Veer, Gerrit de
The image shows how the crew is fighting a polar bear, near a part of the coast that they would subsequently call Berenfort (bear fort). In the background, a noose is thrown around the neck of the animal; in the foreground, the bear almost succeeds in climbing aboard the boat, in spite of the noose. The original caption identifies the islands in the background as Kruiseiland and Willemseiland.
From the Wahrhafftige Relation, the German version of Gerrit de Veer’s journal, published in 1598. (See under ‘documentation’ for details.)
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