Робінзон Крузо
Return to England
WhenwecametoPampelunaitself,wefounditsoindeed; andtome,thathadbeenalwaysusedtoahotclimate,andindeedtocountrieswherewecouldscarcebearanyclotheson,thecoldwasinsufferable; norindeedwasitmorepainfulthanitwassurprisingtocomebutoftendaysbeforeoutoftheoldCastile, wheretheweatherwasnotonlywarm,butveryhot,andimmediatelytofeelawindfromthePyreneanmountainssoverykeen,soseverelycold,astobeintolerable,andtoendangerbenumbingandperishingofourfingersandtoes.
PoorFridaywasreallyfrightenedwhenhesawthemountainsallcoveredwithsnow,andfeltcoldweather,whichhehadneverseenorfeltbeforeinhislife.
Tomendthematter,whenwecametoPampelunaitcontinuedsnowingwithsomuchviolence,andsolong,thatthepeoplesaidwinterwascomebeforeitstime; andtheroads,whichweredifficultbefore,werenowquiteimpassable; for,inaword,thesnowlayinsomeplacestoothickforustotravel,andbeingnothardfrozen,asisthecaseinnortherncountries,therewasnogoingwithoutbeingindangerofbeingburiedaliveeverystep. WestayednolessthantwentydaysatPampeluna;whenseeingthewintercomingon,andnolikelihoodofitsbeingbetter,foritwastheseverestwinteralloverEuropethathadbeenknowninthememoryofman,IproposedthatweshouldallgoawaytoFontarabia,andtheretakeshippingforwhichwasaverylittlevoyage.
Butwhilewewereconsideringthis,therecameinfourFrenchgentlemen,whohavingbeenstoppedontheFrenchsideofthepasses,aswewereontheSpanish,hadfoundoutaguide,who,traversingthecountryneartheheadofLanguedoc,hadbroughtthemoverthemountainsbysuchwaysthattheywerenotmuchincommodedbythesnow; andweretheymetwithsnowinanyquantity,theysaiditwasfrozenhardenoughtobearthemandtheirhorses.
