214 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE ON OCEANOGRAPHY 



ships r in a gale north of Norway, and arrived at Vardo. Here Chancellor evi- 

 dently heard about the route to the White Sea, and the long-established trade 

 between the Norwegians and Russians. This was a new adventure, and as other 

 ships never came he decided to try that route. 



He met, however, with some Scotsmen, who do not seem to have been as enter- 

 prising as Scotsmen are supposed to be. They warned him earnestly against the 

 voyage. But he sailed all the same, "determining," as he declared, "either to 

 bring that to pass which was intended, or else to die the death." 



They came into the White Sea and to the river Dvina. Chancellor went to 

 Moscow, and was there received by the Russian czar, Ivan the Terrible. Next 

 summer he returned in his ship to England, bearing a letter from the czar. 



This voyage, and the so-called discovery of this old Norse route to Russia 

 through the White Sea, form an important turning point in the development of 

 English commerce and shipping. It meant the opening of a great new market 

 for English goods, a profitable trade with Russia developed quickly, and the 

 Muscovy Co., which received special privileges, became so rich and powerful 

 that it could soon support important undertakings in other parts of the world 

 as well. A rapid development of the English mercantile marine followed. Thus 

 it came about that England was soon in a position to compete with the stronger 

 seapowers even in other regions. This episode, in fact, marks the beginning of 

 Great Britain's power on the sea. 



The story shows how apparently small accidents may prove decisive in the 

 history of a whole people. If those ships had not been separated, how differently 

 everything might have turned out. But still more: If it had not been for the true 

 spirit of adventure in that one man, Richard Chancellor, and if he had not been 

 of the type who grasp their opportunities, he would not have entered the White 

 Sea — England's important trade with Russia would not have commenced at 

 that time — the development of her shipping would have been very different, and 

 the history of the world would have proceeded along other lines. 



I am convinced that the future development of the possibilities of your own 

 people as well as of those of mankind will depend on some of you young people 

 striking boldly out along new tracks. I am sure that the great events in the 

 world always depend on the spirit of adventure shown by certain individuals in 

 grasping opportunities when they occur. And so it is in the personal life of every 

 one of us. 



Let me tell you a little about myself, not because that self is a personage of any 

 ■great importance, or a good example, but simply because it is the only one I have, 

 and we must all of us judge life from the standpoint of our own experience. Now 

 when I look back upon my own life, it strikes me that if anything worth doing has 

 •ever been accomplished on that crooked course of regrettable irregularities it 

 was only due to a certain spirit of adventure, acting, however, in a sporadic and 

 imperfect way. 



In his admirable address, Barrie proposed that a good subject for his successor's 

 rectorial address would be "the mess the Rector himself has made of life." Little 

 did he know how much to the point that subject would be for your present Rector. 

 Barrie warned you against Macconnachie, his imaginary other half, who is always 

 flying around on one wing, dragging him with him. And what shall we other 

 poor mortals say, whose Macconnachies do not write charming plays for us, 

 like Barrie's, but merely lead us astray? How many nasty tricks that unruly 

 fellow has played me. When we were young, and plodding steadily along a 

 fairly promising road, he would suddenly bolt up some unexpected sidetrack, and 

 I had to follow and try to make the best of it. 



Now, do not mistake that fanciful creature for the spirit of adventure. Far 

 from it, he is just Master Irresponsible, an emotional, impulsive, and quarrelsome 

 person, who is very easily bored, and thinks it extremely dull when you go on 

 with the same thing for long, and who therefore is always on the lookout for some- 

 thing new to turn up, like a child looking round for new things to play with. 



But the spirit of adventure may still save the situation and see you through, 

 once you have been diverted on to a new trail. For its nature is not to want 

 continually to change: on the contrary, it is to want to see the end of things. 

 And once you have embarked upon an undertaking, the spirit of adventure will 

 not give in, whether you sink or swim, till the work is done, and done well. Do 

 not think that adventure is child's play or that the heights can be won in a day. 

 You -wish to rise, and be great, but remember: 



"The heights by great men reached and kept 

 Were not attained by sudden flight; 

 But they, while their companions slept, 

 Were toiling upwards in the night." 



