At Saint Croix Island, an unexpectedly harsh winter brought dangerous ice that cut the settlement off from the mainland, more than a metre of snow from October to April, extremely cold winds, severe shortages of firewood and fresh water, and rations limited to salted meat and vegetables. Of the seventy-nine men there, thirty-five died of scurvy and twenty others were near death, leaving Sieur de Monts and others dissatisfied with the settlement in a land where winter lasted six months. In 1968-69, archaeologists examined 23 burials on Saint Croix Island and found that the bodies had been buried with their feet toward the east according to Christian practice at the time, with variations in position caused by changes in the sun's location on the horizon during winter and spring. Research conducted in 1995 suggests that the deceased men were about 17 to 45 years old. In December 1605, Sieur de Monts testified that René Nöel, Sieur de Bourgioly of Vitrey, Bretagne, died of scurvy on Saint Croix Island on the last day of March 1605 and was buried on the island the same day.