30 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



perish with their crumbling houses, rather than save 

 themselves or he saved by others. They had lost 

 all that was dear to them, and they had nothing 

 left to live for. 



On the day following the one of the final disaster, 

 I think the general depression was greater than on 

 the day itself. The extent of the incalculable losses, 

 the misery to thousands incurred thereby, were more 

 fully realised. It is useless recapitulating scene after 

 scene of trouble and distress. I might mention cases 

 of mothers frozen to death with infants at the breast ; 

 of women paralysed with terror, giving premature 

 birth to their unhappy offspring (a case of this kind 

 took place on board the ship Czongrad) ; but I pre- 

 fer to pass on from the inevitable misery of the situa- 

 tion, to remark on the inadequate amount of help 

 provided against the emergency, which was certainly 

 not unforeseen. One or two episodes that came under 

 my own observation may serve to make this clear. In 

 rowing through the town during the second day, we 

 passed a church in the suburbs crammed full of 

 people. They called to us piteously for help ; they 

 had no food of any description, but we could not 

 perform a miracle and feed the multitude. Their 

 lives were not in danger, for the building was of 

 stone, and most reluctantly we went on our way. 

 But I grieve to say it was the third day before bread 

 was brought to these people. 



All through there was a scarcity of boats. And 



