OF THE POLAR SEA. 351 



and stiffness of the joints. Being unable to keep 

 up a sufficient fire to warm him, we laid him 

 down and covered him with several blankets. 

 He did not, however, appear to get better, and I 

 deeply lament to add he also died before day- 

 light. We removed the bodies of the deceased 

 into the opposite part of the house, but our united 

 strength was inadequate to the task of interring 

 them, or even carrying them down to the river. 



It may be worthy of remark that poor Peltier, 

 from the time of Benoit's departure, had fixed on 

 the first of November as the time when he should 

 cease to expect any relief from the Indians, and 

 had repeatedly said that if they did not arrive by 

 that day, he should not survive. 



Peltier had endeared himself to each of us by 

 his cheerfulness, his unceasing activity, and affec- 

 tionate care and attentions, ever since our arrival 

 at this place. He had nursed Adam with the 

 tenderest solicitude the whole time. Poor Se- 

 mandr^ was willing to have taken his share in 

 the labours of the party, had he not been wholly 

 incapacitated by his weakness and low spirits. 

 The severe shock occasioned by the sudden dis< 

 solution of our two companions rendered us very 

 melancholy. Adam became low and despondent 

 a change which we lamented the more, as we had 

 perceived he had been gaining strengthand spirits 



