OF THE POLAR SEA. 



401 



continued without intermission until five in the morning, when it 

 was succeeded by snow on the wind changing to north-west, which 

 soon increased to a violent gale. As we had nothing to eat, and 

 were destitute of the means of making a fire, we remained in our 

 beds all the day ; but the covering of our blankets was insufficient to 

 prevent us from feeling the severity of the frost, and suffering in- 

 convenience from the drifting of the snow into our tents. There 

 was no abatement of the storm next day ; our tents were completely 

 frozen, and the snow had drifted around them to a depth of three 

 feet, and even in the inside there was a covering of several inches on 

 our blankets. Our suffering from cold, in a comfortless canvass tent 

 in such weather, with the temperature at 20°, and without fire, will 

 easily be imagined; it was, however, less than that which we felt 

 from hunger. 



The morning of the 7th cleared up a little, but the wind was still 

 strong, and the weather extremely cold. From the unusual con- 

 tinuance of the storm, we feared the winter had set in with all its 

 rigour, and that by longer delay we should only be exposed to an 

 accumulation of difficulties; we therefore prepared for our journey, 

 although 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 exposure 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 remaining 

 meal for the party; but several of the men urged me to it, with 



3 F 



