1769. January. part of what was given them as they did not eat they took away with them; but they would not Sunday 15. fwallow a drop either of wine or fpirits: they put the glass to their lips, but, having tasted the liquor, they returned it, with strong expreffions of difguft. Curiofity feems to be one of the few paffions which distinguish men from brutes; and of this our guests appeared to have very little. They went from one part of the ship to another, and looked at the vast variety of new objects that every moment prefented themselves, without any expreffion either of wonder or pleasure, for the vociferation of our exorcift seemed to be neither. After having been on board about two hours, they expreffed a defire to go afhore. A boat was immediately ordered, and Mr. Banks thought fit to accompany them: he landed them in fafety, and conducted them to their companions, among whom he remarked the fame vacant indifference, as in those who had been on board; for as on one fide there appeared no eagerness to relate, fo on the other there seemed to be no curiofity to hear, how they had been received, or what they had seen. In about half an hour, Mr. Banks returned to the ship, and the Indians retired from the fhore. CHAP. CHA P. IV. An Account of what happened in afcending a Mountain to fearch for Plants. O N the 16th, early in the morning, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, with their attendants and fervants, and two seamen to affist in carrying the baggage, accompanied by Mr. Monkhouse the furgeon, and Mr. Green the aftronomer, fet out from the ship, with a view to penetrate as far as they could into the country, and return at night. The hills, when viewed at a distance, feemed to be partly a wood, partly a plain, and above them a bare rock. Mr. Banks hoped to get through the wood, and made no doubt, but that, beyond it, he should, in a country which no botanist had ever yet vifited, find alpine plants which would abundantly compenfate his labour. They entered the wood at a small fandy beach, a little to the weftward of the watering-place, and continued to afcend the hill, through the pathlefs wildernefs, till three o'clock, before they got a near view of the places which they intended to vifit. Soon after they reached what they had taken for a plain; but, to their great difappointment, found it a swamp, covered with low bushes of 1769. January. Monday 16. 1769. January. birch, about three feet high, interwoven with each other, and fo ftubborn that they could not Monday 16. be bent out of the way; it was therefore neceffary to lift the leg over them, which at every ftep was buried, ancle deep, in the foil. To aggravate the pain and difficulty of such travelling, the weather, which had hitherto been very fine, much like one of our bright days in May, became gloomy and cold; with fudden blafts of a moft piercing wind, accompanied with fnow. They pushed forward, however, in good spirits, notwithstanding their fatigue, hoping the worst of the way was paft, and that the bare rock which they had feen from the tops of the lower hills was not more than a mile before them; but when they had got about two thirds over this woody fwamp, Mr. Buchan, one of Mr. Banks's draughtsmen, was unhappily feized with a fit. This made it neceffary for the whole company to halt, and as it was impoffible that he should go any farther, a fire was kindled, and thofe who were most fatigued were left behind to take care of him. Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, Mr. Green, and Mr. Monkhouse went on, and in a fhort time reached the fummit. As botanists, their expectations were here abundantly gratified; for they found a great variety of plants, which, with refpect to the alpine plants in Europe, are exactly what thofe plants are with respect to fuch as grow in the plain. The The cold was now become more fevere, and the fnow-blafts more frequent; the day alfo was fo far fpent, that it was found impoffible to get back to the fhip, before the next morning: to pafs the night upon fuch a mountain, in fuch a climate, was not only comfortlefs, but dreadful; it was impoffible however to be avoided, and they were to provide for it as well as they could. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, while they were improving an opportunity which they had, with fo much danger and difficulty, procured, by gathering the plants which they found upon the mountain, fent Mr. Green and Mr. Monkhouse back to Mr. Buchan and the people that were with him, with directions to bring them to a hill, which they thought lay in a better rout for returning to the wood, and which was therefore appointed as a general rendezvous. It was propofed, that from this hill they should push through the swamp, which feemed by the new rout not to be more than half a mile over, into the shelter of the wood and there build their wigwam, and make a fire: this, as their way was all down hill, it seemed eafy to accomplish. Their whole company affembled at the rendezvous, and, though pinched with the cold, were in health and spirits, Mr. Buchan himself having recovered his ftrength in a much greater degree than could have been expected. It was now near eight o'clock in the evening, but ftill good T 4 1769. January. Monday 16. January. Monday 16, 1769. good day-light, and they fet forward for the nearest valley, Mr. Banks himself undertaking to bring up the rear, and see that no straggler was left behind: this may perhaps be thought a fuperfluous caution, but it will soon appear to be otherwise. Dr. Solander, who had more than once croffed the mountains which divide Sweden from Norway, well knew that extreme cold, especially when joined with fatigue, produces a torpor and fleepinefs that are almost irresistible: he therefore conjured the company to keep moving, whatever pain it might cost them, and whatever relief they might be promised by an inclination to reft: Whoever fits down, fays he, will fleep; and whoever fleeps, will wake no more. Thus, at once admonished and alarmed, they fet forward; but while they were still upon the naked rock, and before they had got among the bushes, the cold became fuddenly fo intenfe, as to produce the effects that had been moft dreaded. Dr. Solander himself was the first who found the inclination, against which he had warned others, irrefiftible; and infifted upon being fuffered to lie down. Mr. Banks intreated and remonftrated in vain, down he lay upon the ground, though it was covered with fnow; and it was with great difficulty that his friend kept him from sleeping. Richmond also, one of the black fervants, began to linger, having fuffered from the cold in the fame manner as the Doctor. |