VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 113 



him a glass of brandy, he arose and went to his 

 own birth as before. All the time I was on board, 

 the poor fellow expressed the greatest gratitude to 

 me, and thankfulness to God, for thus being provi- 

 dentially rescued from the grasp of death. It is 

 almost needless to remark, that in this inclement 

 region, swimming is of little or no use to any per- 

 son who may chance to fall overboard, as his mus- 

 cular motion is almost instantaneously obstructed 

 by the intensity of the cold. 



Colds and coughs are the disorders most preva- 

 lent among sailors in this country. Sometimes the 

 scurvy breaks out amongst them, but I never saw 

 any symptoms of it. Fractures, dislocations, sprains, 

 bruises, cuts, and frost-biting, give the surgeons a 

 good s deal of trouble. A certain complaint, either 

 contracted in England, or the Orkney or Shetland 

 Isles, is very common. 



The Resolution did not lose a single man in ei- 

 ther of the voyages I made to this country. By 

 the blessing of Providence, they were again all 

 safely restored to their native land. 



30th, Latitude 76° 37' ; Longitude, as near as 

 we could calculate, 1° West. Steered due south. 

 The men were employed in cleaning the ship, dry- 

 ing the lines, &c. 



