The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.Cook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
company, among whom was Mr. Buchan, forward to get a fire ready at the
first convenient place they could find; and himself, with four others,
remained with the Doctor and Richmond, whom, partly by persuasion and
entreaty, and partly by force, they brought on; but when they had got
through the greatest part of the birch and swamp, they both declared
they could go no farther. Mr. Banks had recourse again to entreaty and
expostulation, but they produced no effect: when Richmond was told, that
if he did not go on he would in a short time be frozen to death, he
answered, that he desired nothing but to lie down and die: the Doctor
did not so explicitly renounce his life; he said he was willing to go
on, but that he must first take some sleep, though he had before told
the company that to sleep was to perish. Mr. Banks and the rest found it
impossible to carry them, and there being no remedy, they were both
suffered to sit down, being partly supported by the bushes, and in a few
minutes they fell into a profound sleep: soon after, some of the people
who had been sent 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 succeeded: but, though he
had not slept five minutes, he had almost lost the use of his limbs, and
the muscles were so shrunk that his shoes fell from his feet: he
consented to go forward with such assistance as could be given him, but
no attempts to relieve poor Richmond were successful. It being found
impossible to make him stir, after some time had been lost in the
attempt, Mr. Banks left his other black servant and a seaman, who seemed
to have suffered least by the cold, to look after him; promising, that
as soon as two others should be sufficiently warmed, they should be
relieved. Mr. Banks, with much difficulty, at length got the Doctor to
the fire; and soon after sent two of the people who had been refreshed,
in hopes that, with the assistance of those who had been left behind,
they would be able to bring Richmond, even though it should still be
found impossible to wake him. In about half an hour, however, they had
the mortification to see these two men return alone: they said, that
they had been all round the place to which they had been directed, but
could neither find Richmond nor those who had been left with him; and
that though they had shouted many times, no voice had replied. This was
matter of equal surprise and concern, particularly to Mr. Banks, who,
while he was wondering how it could happen, missed a bottle of rum, the
company’s whole stock, which they now concluded to be in the knapsack of
one of the absentees. It was conjectured, that with this Richmond had
been roused by the two persons who had been left with him, and that,
having perhaps drank too freely of it themselves, they had all rambled
from the place where they had been left, in search of the fire, instead
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