blasts 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 seen 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 draughtmen, was unhappily feized with a fit. This made it neceffary for the whole company to halt, and as it was impoffible that he fhould go any farther, a fire was kindled, and those 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 short time reached the fummit. As botanifts, their expectations were here abundantly gratified; for they found. a great variety of plants, which, with respect to the alpine plants in Europe, are exactly what those plants are with respect to fuch as grow in the plain.

The cold was now become more fevere, and the fnowblafts more frequent; the day alfo was fo far spent, that it was found impoffible to get back to the ship before the next. morning: to pafs the night upon fuch a mountain, in such. 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. Monkhoufe 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.

1769.

January.

Monday 16.

was proposed, that from this hill they should push through
the fwamp, which feemed by the new rout not to be more
than half a mile over, into the fhelter of the wood, and there
build their wigwam, and make a fire: this, as their way
was all down hill, it feemed 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 day-light,
and they fet forward for the nearest valley, Mr. Banks him-
self undertaking to bring up the rear, and see that no ftrag-
gler was left behind: this may perhaps be thought a super-
fluous caution, but it will foon 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 con-
jured the company to keep moving, whatever pain it might
coft them, and whatever relief they might be promised by
an inclination to reft: Whoever fits down, fays he, will sleep;
and whoever fleeps, will wake no more. Thus, at once ad-
monished and alarmed, they fet forward; but while they were
ftill 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, irresistible; and infifted upon being suf-
fered 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 fleeping. Richmond alfo, one of the black

fervants,

fervants, began to linger, having suffered from the cold in the fame manner as the Doctor. Mr. Banks, therefore, fent five of the company, among whom was Mr. Buchan, forward to get a fire ready at the first convenient place they could find; and himself, with four others, remained with the Doctor and Richmond, whom partly by perfuafion and intreaty, and partly by force, they brought on; but when they had got through the greatest part of the birch and swamp, they both declared they could go no farther. Mr. Banks had recourse again to entreaty and expoftulation, but they produced no effect: when Richmond was told, that if he did not go on he would in a short time be frozen to death; he answered, That he defired nothing but to lie down and die: the doctor did not fo explicitly renounce his life; he said he was willing to go on, but that he must first take fome fleep, though he had before told the company that to fleep was to perish. Mr. Banks and the reft found it impoffible to carry them, and there being no remedy they were both fuffered to fit down, being partly fupported by the bufhes, and in a few minutes they fell into a profound fleep: foon after, some of the people who had been fent forward returned, with the welcome news that a fire was kindled about a quarter of a mile farther on the way. Mr. Banks then endeavoured to wake Dr. Solander and happily fucceeded: but, though he had not flept five minutes, he had almost loft the use of his limbs, and the muscles were fo fhrunk that his fhoes fell from his feet; he confented to go forward with fuch affiftance as could be given him, but no attempts to relieve poor Richmond were fuccessful. It being found impoffible to make him stir, after fome time had been loft in the attempt, Mr. Banks left his : other black fervant and a seaman, who feemed to have fuffered leaft by the cold, to look after him; promising, that as foon as two others fhould be fufficiently warmed, they should

1769.

January. Monday 16.

1769. January.

Monday 16.

be relieved. Mr. Banks with much difficulty, at length got
the Doctor to the fire; and foon after fent two of the people
who had been refreshed, in hopes that, with the affistance of
those who had been left behind, they would be able to bring
Richmond, even though it should still be found impoffible to
wake him. In about half an hour, however, they had the
mortification to fee these two men return alone; they said,
that they had been all round the place to which they had
been directed, but could neither find Richmond nor those
who had been left with him; and that though they had
fhouted many times, no voice had replied. This was mat-
ter of equal furprise and concern, particularly to Mr. Banks,
who, while he was wondering how it could happen, miffed
a bottle of rum, the company's whole ftock, which they now
concluded to be in the knapsack of one of the abfentees. It
was conjectured, that with this Richmond had been rouzed
by the two perfons who had been left with him, and that,
having perhaps drank too freely of it themselves, they had
all rambled from the place where they had been left, in
fearch of the fire, inftead of waiting for those who should
have been their affiftants and guides. Another fall of fnow
now came on, and continued inceffantly for two hours, fo
that all hope of feeing them again, at least alive, were given
up; but about twelve o'clock, to the great joy of those at the
fire, a shouting was heard at fome distance. Mr. Banks, with
four more, immediately went out, and found the feaman.
with just strength enough left to stagger along, and call out
for affiftance: Mr. Banks fent him immediately to the fire,
and, by his direction, proceeded in fearch of the other two,
whom he foon after found. Richmond was upon.
his legs,
but not able to put one before the other; his companion was
lying upon the ground, as infenfible as a ftone. All hands

were now called from the fire, and an attempt was made to carry them to it; but this, notwithstanding the united efforts of the whole company, was found to be impoffible. The night was extremely dark, the fnow was now very deep, and, under these additional disadvantages, they found it very difficult to make way through the bushes and the bog for themselves, all of them getting many falls in the attempt. The only alternative was to make a fire upon the fpot; but the fnow which had fallen, and was ftill falling, befides what was every moment fhaken in flakes from the trees, rendered it equally impracticable, to kindle one there, and to bring any part of that which had been kindled in the wood thither: they were, therefore, reduced to the fad neceffiy of leaving the unhappy wretches to their fate; having first made them a bed of boughs from the trees, and spread a covering of the fame kind over them to a confiderable height.

Having now been exposed to the cold and the fnow near an hour and an half, fome of the reft began to lose their fenfibility; and one Brifcoe, another of Mr. Banks's fervants, was fo ill, that it was thought he muft die before he could be got to the fire.

At the fire, however, at length they arrived; and paffed the night in a fituation, which however dreadful in itself, was rendered more afflicting by the remembrance of what was past, and the uncertainty of what was to come. Of twelve, the number that fet out together in health and fpirits, two were fuppofed to be already dead; a third was fo ill, that it was very doubtful whether he would be able to go forward in the morning; and a fourth, Mr. Buchan, was in danger of a return of his fits, by fresh fatigue after fo uncomfortable a night: they were distant from the ship a long day's VOL. II. journey,

Η

1769.

January.

Monday 16.