NOTES FROM DIARY KEPT AT QUICKIOCK. 135 



in, sank down upon a heap of old netting, and lay 

 for some time in a kind of swoon. However, I 

 was now safe, for I was sheltered from the snow, 

 and I could at least keep my blood in motion by 

 walking backwards and forwards round the hut. 

 The reader will possibly imagine that I was over- 

 powered with feelings of joy at such a deliverance. 

 Not a bit of it. I had looked imaginary death in 

 the face so long, that it seemed to have lost all its 

 terrors, and a sullen indifference had settled on 

 me. A savage desire came over me to set the 

 place on fire, and have a glorious warm ; and had 

 I possessed any means of getting a light, in five 

 minutes the old shanty would assuredly have been 

 in a blaze. Strange ! One would have thought 

 that, after all the trouble I had taken in reaching 

 this haven, I should have been content to remain 

 there till daylight. But not so ; I now knew 

 where I was, and after I had rested awhile I set 

 out for the cottage, which I knew was not far 

 distant. I soon reached it. All the inmates were 

 asleep, but the door was unbolted, and I walked 

 in. I soon had the peasant up ; and when we 

 got a light I saw by the clock that it was just five, 

 so I had been wandering in the snow for about 

 nine hours; and as my thermometer, when I 

 reached home, stood at 18° cold, Celsius, I calcu- 

 lated that in the night it must have been as low 



