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Attack by a polar bear on Stateneiland, 6 September 1595
Veer, Gerrit de
The print shows an episode which took place on 6 September 1595, when a polar bear grabbed and killed a crew member as the latter was looking for quartz. In the background, another crew member is grabbed after some of the crew came to the aid of the first one. To the right we see how the polar bear is ultimately killed with knives and the musket butts.
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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