d threw in earth to melt the snow, which
on the 24th of April was greatly diminished. He broke through ice six
English feet thick, with iron bars, thrust down a long pole and touched
the ground; but evening coming on, he desisted.

"The next day the brother of his wife, who had heard of the misfortunes
of the family, came to the house where Joseph was, and after resting
himself a little, went with him to work upon the snow, where they made
another opening, which led them to the house they searched for; but,
finding no dead bodies in its ruins, they sought for the stable, which
was about two hundred and forty English feet distant, which, having
found, they heard the cry of 'Help, my dear brother!' Being greatly
surprised, as well as encouraged by these words, they laboured with all
diligence till they had made a large opening, through which the brother
immediately went down, where the sister, with an agonising and feeble
voice, told him 'I have always trusted in God and you, that you would
not forsake me.' The other brother and the husband then went down, and
found, still alive, the wife, about forty-five, the sister, about
thirty-five, and the daughter, about thirteen years old. These they
raised on their shoulders to men above, who pulled them up as if from
the grave, and carried them to a neighbouring house; they were unable to
walk, and so wasted that they appeared like mere skeletons. They were
immediately put to bed, and gruel of rye-flour and a little butter was
given to recover them.

"Some days after, the magistrate of the place came to visit them, and
found the wife still unable to rise from bed, or use her feet from the
intense cold she had endured, and the uneasy posture she had been in.
The sister, whose legs had been bathed with hot wine, could walk with
some difficulty, and the daughter needed no further remedies.

"On the magistrate's interrogating the women, they told him that, on the
morning of the 19th of March, they were in the stable with a boy of six
years old, and a girl of about thirteen. In the same stable were six
goats, one of which having brought forth two dead kids the night before,
they went to carry her a small vessel of rye-flour gruel; there were
also an ass, and five or six fowls. They were sheltering themselves in a
warm corner of the stable till the church-bell should ring, intending to
attend the service. The wife related that, wanting to go out of the
stable to kindle a fire in the