Even On This However We Hoped The Whole Party Might Be Transported
By Hauling It From One Side To The Other, Provided A Line Could Be
Carried To The Other Bank.
Several attempts were made by Belanger and
Benoit, the strongest men of the party, to convey the raft across the
stream, 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.
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