On the 5th the breezes were light with dark cloudy weather and some snow.  The Doctor and Hepburn were getting much weaker and the limbs of the latter were now greatly swelled.  They came into the house frequently in the course of the day to rest themselves and when once seated were unable to rise without the help of one another, or of a stick.  Adam was for the most part in the same low state as yesterday, but sometimes he surprised us by getting up and walking with an appearance of increased strength.  His looks were now wild and ghastly and his conversation was often incoherent.

The next day was fine but very cold.  The swellings in Adam’s limbs having subsided he was free from pain and arose this morning in much better spirits, and spoke of cleaning his gun ready for shooting partridges or any animals that might appear near the house, but his tone entirely changed before the day was half over; he became again dejected and could scarcely be prevailed upon to eat.  The Doctor and Hepburn were almost exhausted.  The cutting of one log of wood occupied the latter half an hour, and the other took as much time to drag it into the house, though the distance did not exceed thirty yards.  I endeavoured to help the Doctor but my assistance was very trifling.  Yet it was evident that in a day or two if their strength should continue to decline at the same rate I should be the strongest of the party.

I may here remark that owing to our loss of flesh the hardness of the floor from which we were only protected by a blanket produced soreness over the body, and especially those parts on which the weight rested in lying, yet to turn ourselves for relief was a matter of toil and difficulty.  However during this period and indeed all along after the acute pains of hunger, which lasted but three or four days, had subsided, we generally enjoyed the comfort of a few hours’ sleep.  The dreams which for the most part but not always accompanied it were usually (though not invariably) of a pleasant character, being very often about the enjoyments of feasting.  In the daytime we fell into the practice of conversing on common and light subjects, although we sometimes discussed with seriousness and earnestness topics connected with religion.  We generally avoided speaking directly of our present sufferings or even of the prospect of relief.  I observed that in proportion as our strength decayed our minds exhibited symptoms of weakness, evinced by a kind of unreasonable pettishness with each other.  Each of us thought the other weaker in intellect than himself, and more in need of advice and assistance.  So trifling a circumstance as a change of place, recommended by one as being warmer and more comfortable and refused by the other from a dread of motion, frequently called forth fretful expressions which were no sooner uttered than atoned for, to be repeated perhaps in the course of a few minutes.  The same thing often occurred when we endeavoured to assist each other in carrying wood to the fire; none of us were willing to receive assistance although the task was disproportioned to our strength.  On one of these occasions Hepburn was so convinced of this waywardness that he exclaimed, “Dear me, if we are spared to return to England, I wonder if we shall recover our understandings.”