OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



193 



to Serjeant Spackman, who having been repeatedly warned that his nose jjj 822 ^ 

 was frozen had paid no attention to it, owing to the state of stupefaction ^rsJ 

 into which he had fallen. The frost-bite had now extended over one side of 

 his face, which was frozen as hard as a mask, the eye-lids were stiff, and one 

 comer of the upper lip so drawn up as to expose the teeth and gums. My 

 hands being still warm, I was enabled to restore the circulation, after which 

 I used all my endeavours to keep him in motion, but he complained sadly of 

 giddiness and dimness of sight, and was so weak as to be unable to walk of 

 himself. His case was indeed so alarming, that I expected every moment he 

 would lie down never to rise again. Our prospect now became every 

 moment more gloomy, and it was but too evident that four of our party could 

 not survive another hour. Mr. Palmer, however, endeavoured with myself 

 to cheer the people, but it was a faint attempt as we had not a single hope to 

 give them. We had less reason to fear immediate danger to ourselves, in 

 consequence of having fur coats instead of woollen ones. Every piece of 

 ice, or even small rock or stone, was now taken for the ships ; and we had 

 great difficulty in preventing the men from running to the different objects 

 which attracted them, and losing themselves in the drift. In this state, 

 while Mr. Palmer was running round us to warm himself, he suddenly pitched 

 on a new beaten track; and as exercise was indispensable, we determined on 

 following it wherever it might lead us. Having taken the Serjeant under 

 my coat, he recovered a little and we moved onwards, when, only those who 

 have been in a similar state of distress can imagine our joy at finding the path 

 led to the ships, at which we arrived in about ten minutes. 



" John Lee had two of his fingers so badly frost-bitten as to lose a good 

 deal of the flesh of the upper ends, and we were for many days in fear he 

 would be obliged to have them amputated. Carr, who had been the most 

 hardy while in the air, fainted twice on coming below ; and all had severe 

 frost-bites in different parts of the body, which recovered after the loss of skin 

 usual in those cases." 



Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, some of the Esquimaux 

 had, by the foot and sledge marks, found their way to the ships on the morn- 

 ing of the 16th, assuring us, as we found to be too true, that in consequence Sat. 16. 

 of the gale which prevented their going out for seals they had not any food, 

 nor a single lamp a-light at the village. In the course of the following day, 



2 c 



