rty, and it was with the
greatest difficulty the others could prevent the drowsy ones from lying
down to sleep in the snow. This almost irresistible tendency to sleep
is common in cold countries. It is one of the effects of extreme cold
upon exhausted men, and is a very dangerous condition, because those who
fall into it cannot resist giving way to it, even though they know that
if they do so they will certainly die.

Dr Solander, who had formerly travelled on the snow-topped mountains of
Norway, was aware of the danger of giving way to this feeling, and
strove to prevent his companions from falling into the fatal rest.
"Whoever sits down," said he, "will sleep, and whoever sleeps will awake
no more."

Strange to say, Dr Solander was the first to disregard his own warning.
While they were still pushing across the naked side of the mountain,
the cold became suddenly so intense that it increased the effect they
dreaded so much. The doctor found the desire to rest so irresistible
that he insisted on being suffered to lie down. Mr Banks tried to
prevent him, but in vain. Down he lay upon the ground, covered though
it was with snow, and all that his friends could do was to keep shaking
him, and so prevent him from falling into the fatal sleep. At the same
time one of the negro servants became affected in a similar manner. Mr
Banks, therefore, sent forward five of the company with orders to get a
fire ready at the first convenient place they could find, while himself
with four others remained with the doctor and the negro, whom partly by
entreaty and partly by force, they roused up and brought on for some
little distance. But when they had got through the greatest part of the
swamp they both declared they could go no further. Again Mr Banks
tried to reason with the two unfortunate men, pointing out their extreme
danger, and beseeching them to make an effort to advance. But all he
could say had no effect.

When the negro was told that if he would not go on he must, in a short
time, be frozen to death, he answered that he desired nothing but to be
allowed to lie down and die. Dr Solander, on being told the same
thing, replied that he was willing to go on but that he must "_first
take some sleep_," forgetting apparently that he had before told his
comrades that to sleep was to perish.

As Mr Banks and his companions could not carry them, there was no help
for it--they were suffered to sit down, being partly suppor