9 6 Dr. Aikin on preferring Health 
on the beach, till January; and afterwards, 
fnow-water melted by hot irons. The cold in 
the midft of winter was extreme. It raifed blis¬ 
ters in the flelh; and when they went abroad, 
they became fore all over, as if beaten. Iron, 
on being touched, ftuck to their fingers, like 
bird-lime. The melancholy of their fituation 
was aggravated by the abfence of the fun from 
the horizon, from October 14th, to February 3d, 
of which period, twenty days were pafied in total 
darknefs, except the light of lamps, which they 
continued to keep continually burning. With 
all this, it does not appear that any of them were 
affedted with the fcurvy, or any other diforder; 
and the degree of weaknefs, which feems im¬ 
plied by the mention of their recovering ftrength 
in the fpring, may be fufficiently accounted for, 
merely from their fhort allowance of nutritious 
food. At the return of the fhips on May 25th, 
they all appear to have been in health ; and all 
of them returned in fafety to their native country. 
The laft relation I fhall adduce, is one of 
late date, confiderably refembling the foregoing 
in feveral of its circumftances, but ftill more 
extraordinary. 
In the year 1743, a Ruffian fhip of Eaft 
Spitzbergen, in lat. between 77 and 78, was 
fo enclofed with ice, that the crew, apprehenfive 
of being obliged to winter there, fent four of 
their men in a boat, to feek for a hut, which 
they 
