OF THE POLAR SEA. 69 



whilst among the rapids, but no sooner had he 

 reached the upper part of the river than he found 

 the change of the temperature so great, that he 

 vented his indignation against the heat. — " Mais 

 c'est terrible,"' said he, to be frozen and sun-burnt 

 in the same day. The poor fellow, who had been 

 a long time in the countr}'", regarded it as the most 

 severe punishment that could have been inflicted 

 on him, and would willingly have given a part of 

 his wages rather than this disgrace had happen- 

 ed; for there is a pride amongst " Old Voyagers," 

 which makes them consider the state of being- 

 frost-bitten as effeminate, and only excusable in 

 a " Pork-eater/' or one newly come into the coun- 

 try. I was greatly fatigued, and suffered acute 

 pains in the knees and legs, both of which were 

 much swollen when we halted a little above the 

 Dog River. 



" December 30 and 31 . — Our journey these days 

 was by far the most annoying we had yet ex- 

 perienced ; but, independent of the vast masses 

 of ice that were piled on one another, as well as 

 the numerous open places about the rapids (and 

 they did not a little impede us,) there was a 

 strong gale from the north-west, and so dreadfully 

 keen, that our time was occupied in rubbing the 

 frozen parts of the face, and in attempting to 

 warm the hands, in order to be prepared for the 



