SCOTT'S FIKST EXPEDITION 439 



Royal Society, a very able mathematician, is taking the 

 part that Archie did in devising the arrangements for mag- 

 netic work, which, as in the former voyage, is one of the chief 

 objects of the expedition. What with steam and a better 

 sailing ship, the coming Expedition ought to do far more 

 work than did the Erebus and Terror. 



Do you remember my father and me breakfasting at 

 Jordan Hill, when your father kindly invited us that I might 

 be presented to Captain Boss, as an applicant for a berth 

 with him ? I well remember that Ross took his place in a 

 separate table with you and your sisters and amused you 

 all, and I longed to be there too ! The expedition is not to 

 sail till 1901, so I cannot expect to see it return and perhaps 

 not even see it sail ! 



Answering further questions in 1910, he tells Mrs. Paisley 

 bow little of a ship's doctor he was. 



To the Same 



September 13, 1910. 



The Erebus was my ship when I met Ross at Jordan Hill 

 in 1838, and he promised me (or my father) the appointment 

 of naturalist to his expedition. I had no idea of going as a 

 medical man, but Ross would not take me in any other official 

 capacity, and I had to gallop through a medical degree at 

 the last hour : happily for the crew we had no sickness 

 and hardly an accident to either ship throughout the voyage 

 and we had three other Medical Officers, hence my time was 

 devoted throughout to my natural history studies, in some 

 of which Ross took a keen interest. 



To the Same 



March 29, 1901. 



Yes ! this Antarctic Expedition occupies much of my 

 time and mind. As I am (for now a good many years past) 

 the only surviving officer of Ross's Expedition, I am con- 

 sulted a good deal, and with the Hydrographer and Sir A. 

 Geikie, 1 had the final revision of the orders to the Captain 

 and the head of the Scientific Staff. I am looking forward 

 with the greatest interest to see the ship when in the Thames. 



1 The geologist, President of the Royal Society. 



