522 THE VOYAGE OF THE JEAXNETTE. 



some magnitude. Apart from the laying up of a valu- 

 able hunter, and the additional care to be employed in 

 nursing one more sick man, as well as the constant 

 dread of having to look after two men now instead of 

 one should disaster overtake us, there is created a cause, 

 though not, as we can prove, a reason, for a suspicion 

 hereafter that we were not free from scurvy, much as I 

 have taken pride in our exemption all along. From 

 Alexey's imperfect knowledge of English, and our en- 

 tire ignorance of his language, the doctor cannot get an 

 exact account of his medical history. But as far as can 

 be ascertained, he had some disorder at St. Michael's 

 which Mr. Newman treated, and from Alexey's descrip- 

 tion of the effect produced, his hair falling off, etc., it 

 is likely that Mr. Newman dosed him with mercury. 

 At all events, Alexey had at that time several of these 

 sores, one of which, thanks to his tight moccasin lacing, 

 has turned into an ulcer. 1 



The probabilities — in fact, the certainties — are 

 that the man was never so well cared for, so regularly 

 and properly fed, so comfortably housed, and so little 

 worked in his life as he is now ; and in any other place 

 than this his condition would not suggest even a suspi- 

 cion of scurvy. But, as heretofore, the idea of an Arc- 

 tic expedition was always inseparably connected, seem- 

 ingly, with scorbutus ; the fact of this one escaping it 

 entirely would be received with more or less incredu- 

 lity. Accordingly, the occurrence of this ulcer on Alex- 

 ey's leg is peculiarly annoying. 



The usual Sunday inspection and divine service. 



1 This statement must be corrected. Subsequent inquiry shows that 

 Alexey had these sores before he came to St. Michael's, and was treated 

 by his uncle, who applied pulverized whalebone, etc. He was afterwards 

 treated at St. Michael's with mercury for another disorder, and the original 

 uicer business and its cause may have been unknown to Mr. Newman. 



