but they failed for want of oars. A pole constructed by tying the
tent poles together was too short to reach the bottom at a short distance
from the shore, and a paddle which had been carried from the sea-coast by
Dr. Richardson did not possess sufficient power to move the raft in
opposition to a strong breeze which blew from the other side. All the men
suffered extremely from the coldness of the water in which they were
necessarily immersed up to the waists in their endeavours to aid Belanger
and Benoit and, having witnessed repeated failures, they began to
consider the scheme as hopeless. At this time Dr. Richardson, prompted by
a desire of relieving his suffering companions, proposed to swim across
the stream with a line and to haul the raft over. He launched into the
stream with the line round his middle but when he had got a short
distance from the bank his arms became benumbed with cold and he lost the
power of moving them; still he persevered and, turning on his back, had
nearly gained the opposite bank when his legs also became powerless and,
to our infinite alarm, we beheld him sink. We instantly hauled upon the
line and he came again on the surface and was gradually drawn ashore in
an almost lifeless state. Being rolled up in blankets he was placed
before a good fire of willows and fortunately was just able to speak
sufficiently to give some slight directions respecting the manner of
treating him. He recovered strength gradually and through the blessing of
God was enabled in the course of a few hours to converse and by the
evening was sufficiently recovered to remove into the tent. We then
regretted to learn that the skin of his whole left side was deprived of
feeling in consequence of exposure to too great heat. He did not
perfectly recover the sensation of that side until the following summer.
I cannot describe what everyone felt at beholding the skeleton which the
Doctor's debilitated frame exhibited. When he stripped the Canadians
simultaneously exclaimed "Ah! que nous sommes maigres!" I shall best
explain his state and that of the party by the following extract from his
journal: "It may be worthy of remark that I should have had little
hesitation in any former period of my life at plunging into water even
below 38 degrees Fahrenheit, but at this time I was reduced almost to
skin and bone and, like the rest of the party, suffered from degrees of
cold that would have been disregarded in health and vigour. Duri