Chap. IV. PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE. 107 



"Among these there were four or five cases which kept 

 the patients confined for several weeks ; but John Smith, of 

 the artillery, who was Captain Sabine's servant, and who, 

 together with Serjeant Martin, happened to be in the house 

 at the time the fire broke out, were unfortunate enough to 

 suffer much more severely. In their anxiety to save the 

 dipping-needle, which was standing close to the stove, and 

 of which they knew the value, they immediately ran out 

 with it ; and Smith, not having time to put on his gloves, 

 had his fingers in half an hour so benumbed, and the anima- 

 tion so completely suspended, that, on his being taken on 

 board by Mr. Edwards, and having his hands plunged into 

 a basin of cold water, the surface of the water was imme- 

 diately frozen by the intense cold thus suddenly communi- 

 cated to it ; and notwithstanding the most humane and 

 unremitting attention paid to him by the medical gentle- 

 men, it was found necessary, some time after, to resort to 

 the amputation of a part of four fingers on one hand and 

 three on the other." — pp. 148, 149. 



"The appearance," says Parry, "which our faces 

 presented at the fire was a curious one, almost every 

 nose and cheek having become quite white with 

 frost-bites, in five minutes after being exposed to the 

 weather ; so that it was deemed necessary for the 

 medical gentlemen, together with some others ap- 

 pointed to assist them, to go constantly round while 

 the men were working at the fire, and to rub with 

 snow the parts affected, in order to restore anima- 

 tion. " 



On the 16th day of February the greatest degree 

 of cold was experienced, the thermometer having 

 descended to - 55°, and remained for fifteen hours at 



