33S JOURXEY TO THE SHORES 



Michel proposed to remain out all night, and 

 to hunt next day on his way back. He re- 

 turned in the afternoon of the 18th, having found 

 the blanket, together with a bag containing two 

 pistols, and some other things which had been 

 left beside it. We had some tripe de roclie in 

 the evening, but Mr. Hood, from the constant 

 griping it produced, was unable to eat more than 

 one or two spoonfuls. He was now so weak as 

 to be scarcely able to sit up at the fire-side, and 

 complained that the least breeze of wind seemed 

 to blow through his frame. He also suffered 

 much from cold during the night. We lay close 

 to each other, but the heat of the body was no 

 longer sufficient to thaw the frozen rime formed 

 by our breaths on the blankets that covered 

 him. 



At this period we avoided as much as possible 

 conversing upon the hopelessness of our situation, 

 and generally endeavoured to lead the conversation 

 towards our future prospects in life. The fact is, that 

 with the decay of our strength, our minds decayed, 

 and we were no longer able to bear the contem- 

 plation of the horrors that surrounded us. Each 

 of us, if I may be allowed to judge from my 

 own case, excused himself from so doing by a 

 desire of not shocking the feelings of the others, 

 for we were sensible of one another's weakness 



