The great scholar's mind was almost paralyzed by the phenomena before him.

Could it be possible that, in wealthy, Christian England there ever was a time when no man knew or cared about this saddening condition of affairs?
The light failed soon, and the boats durst not hang about after the fleet began to sail; but, until the last minute, one long, slow, drizzle of misery seemed to fall like a dreary litany on the surgeon's nerves.

The smashed fingers alone were painful to see, but there were other accidents much worse.

Every man in the fleet had been compelled to fight desperately for life, and you cannot go through such a battle without risks.

There were no malingerers; the bald, brutal facts of crushed bones, or flayed scalp, or broken leg, or poisoned hand were there in evidence, and the men used no extra words after they had modestly described the time and circumstances under which they met with their trouble.