Thus we worked with our clothes stiff with ice for nearly three hours. After we had secured the timbers, we went on deck. I took a stick and beat the ice from my drawers, shifted myself throughout, drank nearly a half pint of hot sling, and went to my berth. The next day I was very sore and stiff; the night following I experienced some pain in my side, got up, and walked the deck; vomited several times. I grew gradually worse until I could not breathe without a sort of catch or twitching, which was extremely painful. When I lay down, I could not rise again without assistance. When morning came a physician came on board and[214] bled me, which afforded great relief. He came again in the afternoon of the same day, and learning that the captain was going to sail soon, he told him if he carried me to sea, it would be the death of me, as I was most severely attacked with pleurisy, and must have medical aid immediately. I was taken on shore to a house, where I remained seven days, seeing my sick nurse only four times, he leaving me some soup. The vessel left the harbor the next day after I went on shore, being driven out by the ice, with the loss of an anchor and part of the cable. One day the old Frenchman who assisted me on the raft, came to see me. I told him how I had been neglected, and shaking his head, he said it was too bad, and that I should not stay there, and then left the room. After an hour or two he returned with a horse and sleigh, assisted me into it and drove a distance of five miles, to the house of a French lady, where I remained six weeks. This kind lady, although an entire stranger, took a mother's care of me, at the same time knowing not that she should ever be compensated for it. Her many kindnesses I can never forget. I inquired of the doctor if there was any money in the treasury at Delhouse. He said there was, and seemed astonished that I had not made application for it. He then wrote a certificate, stating that I had been left, at the advice of a physician, by the barque Asia, of Liverpool, and was still under his care. This being presented to the treasury brought me a guinea per week[215] during the time I should remain under the care of a physician. This fund is raised by reserving one shilling per month from the wages of all seamen that sail in British vessels. In every port of any considerable note a hospital is erected, in others a fund is deposited, to be expended in case of sickness of any of her majesty's subjects. At the expiration of six weeks, I had so far recovered as to be able to walk a short distance to the neighbors in pleasant weather. My appetite was getting to be very good, and in fact, I considered myself almost well.