It may well be supposed that her strength, already weakened by the sufferings she had undergone, was totally unprepared to bear up against a trial from which the strongest of the crew might have shrunk; but it turned out otherwise.  The robust, healthy woman, with her feeble companion, left the wreck together, the former bearing in her arms an infant of nine months old.  No doubt many a ready arm was stretched forth to assist them in their perilsome journey.  But man could have done but little against the piercing winter’s blast with which they had to contend.  Before they had proceeded half the distance, the child was frozen in its mother’s arms, and ere long the mother herself sunk on the snow, fell into a state of stupor, and died.  Not so the delicate invalid; sustained by help from above, she still pursued her way, and ere long gained with others the hospitable shore.  The inhabitants of the village received the strangers with great kindness, and did everything in their power to alleviate their sufferings.  The ship’s company were distributed amongst them for the night, but the poverty of the place afforded them little more than shelter.

The next morning a general muster was made, and it was ascertained that, of the whole company, twelve seamen, a woman, and her child, only were missing; these had either been frozen to death, or had died from the effects of cold, and the loss was small when compared with the hardships they had suffered.  Several men had their legs and fingers frozen, but through proper medical treatment they all recovered.

The storm lasted without intermission till the night of the 5th, and during that time the crew of the Proserpine were suffering much from the want of necessary food, clothing, &c.  Provisions were so scarce that they were all put upon short allowance; and their scanty store being nearly exhausted, it became absolutely necessary that part of them should proceed to Cuxhaven.

They learnt that at low water it was possible to get to Cuxhaven on foot; and as some of the islanders offered their services as guides, and the tide served, it was settled that the first lieutenant and half the officers and men should start with the guides on the morning of the 6th.

Mr. Grenville being very anxious to proceed on his mission to Berlin, determined to accompany the party, with the secretary to the embassy, and some of the servants; and they accordingly all set off at eight o’clock in the morning, the severity of the weather having somewhat abated.

Great as had been the difficulties they had encountered in their passage from the Proserpine to Newark Island, the dangers of their present expedition, over sand and ice, were nearly as formidable.  At one part of their journey they found themselves on the banks of a river.  The guides had assured them it was only a very narrow stream, and would most probably be frozen over:  it proved, however, to be a river of considerable width; the ice was broken and floating upon it in large masses; the tide, too, was rising, and altogether the passage presented a formidable appearance.  There was little time for deliberation, so the word was given to push forward, and the next moment they were up to their waists in the water, struggling against the tide and the large flakes of ice, which swept against them with such force that they had great difficulty in keeping their footing.