INTENSE COLD. 133 



a collection of yaraiigas. . Strange to say, the clogs 

 manifested equally joyous symptoms of recognition, 

 and needed little persuasion to make them quicken 

 their speed towards the so welcome objects. Alas, 

 we might have spared om^ glad hurrahs ; the fancied 

 yarangas were but the bare abrupt faces of the sea 

 cliflfs, and, as we neared them, seemed to grin derisively 

 at om* bitter delusions. 



So great a fall of snow had rendered travelling 

 exceedingly difficult, particularly with such heavily 

 laden sledges ; the dogs could scarcely flounder along, 

 and we were constantly obliged to lift one or the 

 other runner from its deep furrow. These continued 

 efforts were, in our exhausted plight, painfidly 

 laborious ; and the entire helplessness of Mr. Moore, 

 who still suffered from his complaint, added greatly 

 to our fatigue. 



We stopped at last, from sheer inabihty to pro- 

 ceed, in the mouth of a small inlet, bordered by 

 steep banks, and passed a night of misery and sus- 

 pense, far worse than any of the preceding. The 

 wind, sweeping remorselessly through the gorge, 

 covered us with snow-drift, and sought to freeze the 

 very marrow in our bones, the temperature having 

 again fallen considerably. 



That night is imprinted indelibly upon my 



