After this we tried to light a fire, but were unable to do so.

We were thus reduced to a most pitiful condition.

The cold was beginning to seize us to an extraordinary degree, the darkness was great, and the wind blew fearfully.

In order to keep ourselves from dying with cold, we resumed our march on the lake in spite of our fatigue, without knowing whither we were going, and all were greatly impeded with the wind and snow.
After walking a league and a half we had to succumb in spite of ourselves and stop where we were.

The danger we ran of dying from cold caused me to remember the charitable Father de Noue, who in a similar occasion was found dead in the snow, kneeling and with clasped hands....