2 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



that by longer delay we should only be ex- 

 posed to an accumulation of difficulties ; 

 we therefore prepared for our journey, al- 

 though we were in a very unfit condition 

 for starting, being weak from fasting, and 

 our garments stiffened by the frost. We 

 had no means of making a fire to thaw 

 them, the moss, at all times difficult to 

 kindle, being now covered with ice and 

 snow. A considerable time was consumed 

 in packing up the frozen tents and bed 

 clothes, the wind blowing so strong that no 

 one could keep his hands long out of his 

 mittens. 



Just as we were about to commence our 

 march, I was seized with a fainting fit, in 

 consequence of exhaustion and sudden ex- 

 posure to the wind ; but after eating a 

 morsel of portable soup, I recovered so far 

 as to be able to move on. I was unwilling 

 at first to take this morsel of soup, which 

 was diminishing the small and only remain- 

 ing meal for the party; but several of the 

 men urged me to it, with much kindness. 

 The ground was covered a foot deep with 



