478 THE LAST YEABS 



of these framed in wood from the smashed rudder of the 

 Erebus. 



The following, taken from this correspondence, show his 

 vigour still undimmed. 



The Beacon, Sidmouth : February 20, 1911. 



MY DEAR DK. BRUCE, I return herewith the proof 

 sheets which I have perused with extraordinary interest and 

 an amount of instruction and information that I never 

 expected to receive at my age. 



The extent and amplitude of your personal experience 

 amazes me, as does the use you ma^e of it in clear exposition 

 of the phenomena of Polar conditions, physical and biological. 



I return also the 64 pages set up, and Mr. Ferris* letter 

 to you of 17th February. 



As to the introductory note by me he wants by the 

 beginning of this week, I cannot supply it. With me composi- 

 tion is a very protracted affair, I rewrite over and over again.- 

 Mr. Ferris does not know, and you, I think, forget, that I am 

 in my 94th year, far advanced, and that writing this note is 

 no slight labour nor is any such appeal to the public really 

 wanted. ' Let every herring hang by its own head ' must be 

 a familiar proverb to you. On the other hand, I should be 

 proud of having your work dedicated to me. To tell you the 

 truth, I habitually distrust such introductory notes by other 

 than the author, they are really publishers' toutings. 



My position under Eoss was exceptional, my father's 

 friendship with Franklin, Farry, Eichardson, Irvine and 

 others, had to be considered. 



It does not, I think, appear in the narrative of the Voyage 

 that I was the sole worker of the tow net, bringing the cap- 

 tures daily to Eoss and helping him with their preservation, 

 as well as drawing a great number of them for him. 



Except some drying paper for plants I had not a single 

 instrument or book supplied to me as a Naturalist, all were 

 given to me by my father. I had, however, the use of Eoss's 

 library, and you may hardly credit it, but it is a fact, that not 

 a single glass bottle was supplied for collecting purposes, 

 empty pickle bottles were all we had, and rum, as a preserva- 

 tive, from the ship's stores. 



Throughout the voyage I took hygrometer observations 



