351 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



seated, were unable to rise without the help of 

 one another, or of a stick. Adam was for the 

 most part in the same low state as yesterday, 

 but sometimes he surprised us by getting up and 

 walking with an appearance of increased strength. 

 His looks were now wild and ghastly, and his 

 conversation was often incoherent. 



The. next day was fine, but very cold. The 

 swellings in Adam's limbs having subsided, he 

 was free from pain, and arose this morning in 

 much better spirits, and spoke of cleaning his 

 gun ready for shooting partridges, or any animals 

 that might appear near the house, but his tone 

 entirely changed before the day was half over ; 

 he became again dejected, and could scarcely be 

 prevailed upon to eat. The Doctor and Hepburn 

 were ahnost exhausted. The cutting of one log 

 of wood occupied the latter half an hour ; and 

 the other took as much time to drag it into the 

 house, though the distance did not exceed thirty 

 yards. I endeavoured to help tjie Doctor, but 

 my assistance was very trifling. Yet it was evi- 

 dent that, in a day or two, if their strength should 

 continue to decline at the same rate, I should be 

 the strongest of the party. 



I may here remark that owing to our loss of 

 flesh, the hardness of the floor, from which we 

 were only protected by a blanket, produced sore- 



