jlluvy was Pr0P°ftd, that from this hill they fliould pufh through
.'t-y—-f the fwamp, which feemed by the new rout not to be more Monday 16. , , .
than halt a mile over, into the flielter of the wood, and there
build their wigwam, and make a fire: this,'as their way
-was all down hill, it feemed eafy to accomplilh. Their
whole company affembled at the rendezvous, and, though
•pinched with the cold, were in health and fpirits, Mr.
Buchan himfelf having recovered his ftrength in a much
greater degree than could have been expedted. It was now
near eight o’clock in the evening, but Hill good day-light,
and they fet forward for the neareft valley, Mr. Banks himfelf
undertaking to bring up the rear, and fee that no ftrag-
gler was left behind: this may perhaps be thought a fuper-
ifluous caution, but it will foon appear to be otherwife. Dr.
Solander, who had more than once croffed the mountains
which divide Sweden from Norway, well knew that extreme
cold, efpecially when joined with fatigue, produces a torpor
and fleepinefs that are almoft irrefiftible: he therefore conjured
the company to keep moving, whatever pain it might
coft them, and whatever relief they might be promifed by
an inclination to reft: Whoever fits down, fays he, will fleep ;
and whoever fleeps, will wake no more. Thus, at once ad-
moniftied and alarmed, they fet forward; but while they were
ftill upon the naked rock, and before they had got among
the bulhes, the cold became fuddenly fo intenfe, as to produce
the effects that had been moft dreaded. Dr. Solander himfelf
was the firft who found the inclination, againft which he
had warned others, irrefiftible ; and infilled upon being fuf-
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 lleeping. Richmond alfo, one of the black
fervants,
fervants, began to linger, having fuffered from the cold in the
fame manner as the Dodtor. Mr. Banks, therefore, fent five '----*----'
of the company, among whom was Mr. Buchan, forward to Monia!r'
get a fire ready at the firft convenient place they could find ;
and himfelf, with four others, remained with the Dodtor and
Richmond, whom partly by perfuafion and intreaty, and
partly by force, they brought o n ; but when they had got
through the greateft part of the birch and fwamp, they both'
declared they could go no farther. Mr. Banks had recourfe
again to entreaty and expoftulation, but they produced no
effedt: when Richmond was.told, that if he did not go on he
would in a fhort time be frozen to death ; he anfwered, That
he defined nothing but to lie down and die: the dodtor did
not fo explicitly renounce his life ; he faid he was willing to
go on, but that- he muft firft take fome fleep, though he had-
before told the company that to fleep was to perilh. 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 bulhes, and in a few minutes
they fell into a profound fleep: foon after, fome o f 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 almoft loft the ufe of his limbs, and the
mufcles were fo fhrunk that his ffioes fell from his fee t; he
eonfented to go forward with fuch affiftance as could be
given him, but no attempts to relieve poor Richmond were
fuccefsful. It being found impoffible to make him ftir, after
fome time had been loft in the attempt; Mr. Banks left his
other black fervant and a feaman, who feemed to have fuffered
leaft by the cold, to look after him; promifing, that as
foon as two others fliould be fufficiently warmed, they fliould:
i bej