It seems to penetrate to the heart, and leach away the very vital force.
The only relief attainable was found in huddling over little fires kept alive by small groups with their slender stocks of wood.

As this wood was all pitch-pine, that burned with a very sooty flame, the effect upon the appearance of the hoverers was, startling.

Face, neck and hands became covered with mixture of lampblack and turpentine, forming a coating as thick as heavy brown paper, and absolutely irremovable by water alone.

The hair also became of midnight blackness, and gummed up into elflocks of fantastic shape and effect.

Any one of us could have gone on the negro minstrel stage, without changing a hair, and put to blush the most elaborate make-up of the grotesque burnt-cork artists.
No wood was issued to us.