492 DR. KANE'S EXPEDITION. 



ing with the tides, had compressed the surface-floes ; 

 and, rearing them up on their edges, produced an area 

 more like the volcanic pedragal of the basin of Mexico 

 than anything else I can compare it to. 



" It required desperate efforts to work our way over 

 it -- literally desperate, for our strength failed us anew, 

 and we began to lose our self-control. We could not 

 abstain any longer from eating snow ; our mouths 

 swelled, and some of us became speechless. Happily, 

 the day was warmed by a clear sunshine, and the ther- 

 mometer rose to 4 in the shade ; otherwise we must 

 have frozen. 



11 Our halts multiplied, and we fell half-sleeping on 

 the snow. I could not prevent it. Strange to say, it 

 refreshed us. I ventured upon the experiment myself, 

 making Rilcy wake me at the end of three minutes ; 

 and I felt so much benefited by it that I timed the men 

 in the same way. They sat on the runners of the 

 sledge, fell asleep instantly, and were forced to wake- 

 fulness when their three minutes were out. 



" By eight in the evening we emerged from the floes. 

 The sight of the Pinnacly Berg revived us. Brandy, 

 an invaluable resource in emergency, had already been 

 served out in table-spoonful doses. We now took a 

 longer rest, and a last but stouter dram, and reached 

 the brig at one P. M., we believe, without a halt. 



"I say we believe; and here, perhaps, is the most 

 decided proof of our sufferings ; we were quite delir- 

 ious, and had ceased to entertain a sane apprehension 

 of the circumstances about us. We moved on like men 

 in a dream. Our foot-marks, seen afterward, showed 

 that we had steered a bee-line for the brig. It must 

 have been by a sort of instinct, for it left no impress on 

 the memory. Bonsall was sent staggering ahead, and 

 reached the brig, God knows how, for he had fallen 



