“The wind was often so violent in these regions, that its velocity dazzled the sight, while our fears were increased by the dreadful concussions of the precipice, and by the fall of enormous fragments of rocks. These crashes were the more alarming, as no other noises are heard in these deserts; and during the night our rest, which we so greatly wanted, was frequently disturbed by such sudden sounds. When the weather was any thing fair with us, and the clouds gathered about some of the other mountains which had a connexion with our observations, so that we could not make all the use we desired of this interval of good weather, we left our huts to exercise ourselves, in order to keep us warm. Sometimes we descended to some small distance; and at other times amused ourselves with rolling large fragments of rocks down the precipices, and these many times required the joint strength of us all, though we oftentimes saw the same performed by the mere force of the wind. But we always took care in our excursions not to go so far but that, on the least appearance of the clouds gathering about our cottage, which often happened very suddenly, we could regain our shelter. The door of our hut was fastened with thongs of leather, and on the inside not the smallest crevice was left unstopped; besides which it was very compactly covered with straw. But notwithstanding all our care, the wind penetrated through. The days were often little better than the nights, and all the light we enjoyed was that of a lamp or two, which we kept burning that we might distinguish one another, and improve our time as much as possible in reading. Though our hut was small and crowded with inhabitants, besides the heat of the lamps, yet the intenseness of the cold was such, that every one of us was obliged to have a chafing-dish of coals. These precautions would have rendered the rigour of the climate supportable, had not the imminent danger of perishing by being blown down the precipices roused us, every time it snowed, to encounter the severity of the outward air, and sally out with shovels to free the roof of the hut from the masses of snow that were gathering on it. Nor would it, without this precaution, have been able to support the weight. We were not indeed without servants and Indians, but they were so benumbed with cold, that it was with great difficulty we could get them out of a small tent, where they kept a continual fire; so that all we could obtain from them was to take their turns in this labour,—and even then they went very unwillingly about it, and consequently performed it slowly.