OF THE POLAR SEA. 



89 



situation was indeed distressing, but, in 

 comparison with that of our friends in the 

 rear, we thought it happy. Their condition 

 gave us unceasing solicitude, and was the 

 principal subject of our conversation. 



Though the weather was stormy on the 

 26 th, Sam and re assisted me to gather tripe 

 de rocke. Adam, who was very ill, and 

 could not now be prevailed upon to eat this 

 weed, subsisted principally on bones, though 

 he also partook of the soup. The tripe de 

 rocke had hitherto afforded us our chief 

 support, and we naturally felt great uneasi- 

 ness at the prospect of being deprived of it, 

 by its being so frozen as to render it impos- 

 sible for us to gather it. 



We perceived our strength decline every 

 day, and every exertion began to be irk- 

 some; when we were once seated the 

 greatest effort was necessary in order to 

 rise, and we had frequently to lift each 

 other from our seats ; but even in this 

 pitiable condition we conversed cheerfully, 

 being sanguine as to the speedy arrival of 

 the Indians. We calculated, indeed, that 



