122 LOSS OF AN ENGLISH SLOOP. 
cold. We were obliged to walk over the snow, which sunk 
under our feet, to the entrance of a little wood, about two hun- 
dred yards from the shore, which sheltered us a little from 
the piercing northwest wind. We yet wanted a fire to warm 
our chilled limbs, and had no means of kindling one. The 
tinder-box which we had taken the precaution to put into the 
boat, had got wet by the last wave that drove us ashore. Ex- 
ercise alone could prevent our being frozen, in keeping our 
blood in circulation. 
Being better acquainted than my companions with the na- 
ture of these severe climates, I recommended to them to keep 
themselves in motion, in order to prevent being overpowered 
by sleep. But the young passenger, whose clothes were 
soaked in the sea-water, and were frozen stiff upon his body, 
was unable to resist the drowsy sensation, always produced 
by the excessive cold, which he experienced. In vain I em- 
ployed, by turns, persuasion and force to make him keep upon 
his legs. I was obliged to leave him to his supineness. Af- 
ter walking about half an hour I was myself seized with such 
a powerful inclination to sleep, that I felt myself ready every 
moment to sink to the ground in order to gratify it, till I re- 
turned to the place where the young man lay. I put my 
hand to hrs face and found it quite cold, when I desired the 
mate to feel it. We both conceived him to be dead. He re- 
plied, with a feeble voice, that he was not, but that he felt his 
end approaching, and entreated me, if I survived, to write to 
his father at New-York, and inform him of his fate. In ten 
minutes we saw him expire, without any pain, or at least 
■without strong convulsions. I relate this incident to show 
the effect of violent cold on the human body during sleep, 
and to show that this kind of death is not always accompani- 
ed with a sensation of such excessive pain as is generally 
supposed. 
This dreadful lesson was incapable of inducing the others 
to resist the inclination to sleep by which they were attacked. 
Three of them lay down in spite of my exhortations. Seeing 
that it was impossible to keep them on their legs, I went and 
cut two branches of trees, one of which I gave to the mate, 
and my whole employment, during the remainder of the night, 
was to prevent my companions from sleeping, by striking 
them as soon as they closed their eyes. This exercise was 
of benefit to ourselves, at the same time that it preserved the 
others from danger of almost certain death. 
Day-light, which we awaited with such impatience, at 
