DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0418
380
KIRBY S WONDERFUL MUSEUM.
with the nature of cold climates than any of my compa-
nions, I recommended it to them to move about for the pur-
pose of keeping the blood in motion by exercise. My ad-
vice was strictly adhered to for about half an hour, when the
young passenger already mentioned, being overcome by the
severity of the weather, threw himself down in order to
sleep; I used my utmost endeavours to rouse him, but to no
purpose. After walking about for half an hour longer, dur-
ing which I felt such a strong desire to sleep, that I should
have lain down myself had I not been aware of the fatal
consequences attending it; I went to the place where the
boy lay, and putting my hand on his face and finding it quite
cold, I observed to the mate, who w'as close by, that I be-
lieved he was dead. The youth immediately answered that
he was not yet dead, but would be so very shortly; and re-
quested I would write to his father at New York, and inform
him of the circumstances of his son’s misfortune. In about
ten minutes we found that he had expired, and as I imagined
without any pain whatever.
The death of the boy could not deter the rest of my fel-
low-sufferers from giving way to this drowsy sensation; and
three of them fay down in spite of my repeated exhortations
to the contrary. Finding it impossible to keep them on
their legs, I broke a branch, and desiring the mate to do the
same, our employment during the remainder of the night
was to pievent them from sleeping, by beating them conti-
nually wi'h the branches. The day-light at length appear-
ed, and I soon found that the legs of my companions, were
frozen at least half way up. They rubbed them with snow
for a considerable time, but to little purpose, for it wias im-
possible to restore them to their feeling.
I then went down to the beach with the mate to see if we
could discover any traces of the ship, and to our great sur-
prize and satisfaction found that she had not yet gone to
pieces, though the wind continued with unabated severity.
KIRBY S WONDERFUL MUSEUM.
with the nature of cold climates than any of my compa-
nions, I recommended it to them to move about for the pur-
pose of keeping the blood in motion by exercise. My ad-
vice was strictly adhered to for about half an hour, when the
young passenger already mentioned, being overcome by the
severity of the weather, threw himself down in order to
sleep; I used my utmost endeavours to rouse him, but to no
purpose. After walking about for half an hour longer, dur-
ing which I felt such a strong desire to sleep, that I should
have lain down myself had I not been aware of the fatal
consequences attending it; I went to the place where the
boy lay, and putting my hand on his face and finding it quite
cold, I observed to the mate, who w'as close by, that I be-
lieved he was dead. The youth immediately answered that
he was not yet dead, but would be so very shortly; and re-
quested I would write to his father at New York, and inform
him of the circumstances of his son’s misfortune. In about
ten minutes we found that he had expired, and as I imagined
without any pain whatever.
The death of the boy could not deter the rest of my fel-
low-sufferers from giving way to this drowsy sensation; and
three of them fay down in spite of my repeated exhortations
to the contrary. Finding it impossible to keep them on
their legs, I broke a branch, and desiring the mate to do the
same, our employment during the remainder of the night
was to pievent them from sleeping, by beating them conti-
nually wi'h the branches. The day-light at length appear-
ed, and I soon found that the legs of my companions, were
frozen at least half way up. They rubbed them with snow
for a considerable time, but to little purpose, for it wias im-
possible to restore them to their feeling.
I then went down to the beach with the mate to see if we
could discover any traces of the ship, and to our great sur-
prize and satisfaction found that she had not yet gone to
pieces, though the wind continued with unabated severity.