ch the land, in hopes of obtaining more shelter than
the naked floe afforded from the nipping effects of the cutting gale.
Every moment some fresh case of frost-bite would occur, which the
watchful care of the officers would immediately detect. The man would
fall out from his sledge, restore the circulation of the affected part,
generally the face, and then hasten back to his post. Constant
questions of "How are your feet?" were heard on all sides, with the
general response, "Oh! I hope they are all right; but I've not felt
them since I pulled my boots on."

[Headnote: _COLD AND FROST-BITES._]

One halt was made to remove and change all leather boots, which, in
consequence of our late warm weather, had been taken into use, but were
now no longer safe; and then, with a rally, the piled-up floe around
the cliffs of Cape Walker was reached. Cold and hungry as we were, it
must have been a heavy barrier indeed to have stopped our men from
taking their sledges to the land; and piled as the floe was against the
Cape, full fifty feet high, we carried our craft over it in safety, and
just in time too, for the north-west wind rushed down upon us, as if to
dispute our right to intrude on its dominion. Hastily securing the
tents, we hurried in to change our boots, and to see whether our feet
were frost-bitten or not; for it was only by ocular proof that one
could be satisfied of their safety, sensation having apparently long
ceased. I shall not easily forget my painful feelings, when one gallant
fellow of my party, the captain of the sledge, exclaimed, "Both feet
gone, sir!" and sure enough they were, white as two lumps of ice, and
equally cold; for as we of the tent party anxiously in turn placed our
warm hands on the frost-bitten feet, the heat was extracted in a
marvellously short time, and our half-frozen hands had to be succeeded
by fresh ones as quickly as possible. With returning circulation the
poor fellow's agonies must have been intense; and some hours afterwards
large blisters formed over the frost-bitten parts, as if the feet had
been severely scalded. Sadly cramped as we were for room, much worse
was it when a sick man was amongst our number. Sleep was out of the
question; and to roll up in the smallest possible compass, and try to
think of something else than the cold, which pierced to the very marrow
in one's bones, was our only resource.

Next day, Tuesday, 22d April, wind N.W. blowing hard, and temperature
at 44