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The expedition members threatened by three polar bears, 28-29 June 1597

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The expedition members threatened by three polar bears, 28-29 June 1597

Veer, Gerrit de

The image shows how, during the sojourn at Cape Nassau, three bears approach the expedition members. In the background we see how the crew manage to shoot one of the bears; in the foreground, we see the other two bears returning the next day to eat the dead bear.

From the Wahrhafftige Relation, the German version of Gerrit de Veer’s journal, published in 1598. (See under ‘documentation’ for details.)

Please contact Rijksmuseum Amsterdam for reuse and copyrights.

Sources and literature

Veer, Gerrit de, Om de Noord: de tochten van Willem Barentsz en Jacob van Heemskerck en de overwintering op Nova Zembla, zoals opgetekend door Gerrit de Veer (1598)

Veer, Gerrit de, Warhafftige Relation. Der dreyen newen unerhörten seltzamen Schiffart so die Holländischen und Seeländischen Schiff....Anno 1594, 1595 und 1596 verricht (NG-1979-564) (1598)