184 Our North Land. 



himself agreeable to every one, and convinced all, without ever 

 referring to the subject, that he was not satisfied with the narrow 

 scope afforded for his work in connection with the Expedition. 



He was enthusiastic on only one topic, that of the navigation of 

 Hudson's Bay and Strait. This subject had completely mastered his 

 naturally reserved nature, and, when speaking on it, he was always 

 extravagant. If we found ourselves exposed - in a gale of thirty or 

 forty miles an hour, and one should happen to observe : 



" Doctor, this is horrible — an awful gale ! " 



"0, pshaw ! it's only a little blow, only a temporary thing." 



Or, if a blinding August snow-storm rendered it so dark as that 

 those on the quarter-deck could not distinguish the foremast, and 

 one remarked : 



" Well, doctor, this looks a little bad for the Hudson's Bay route." 



He would answer quickly and sharply, " Why so ? Not at all. 

 They have snow-storms in the Atlantic worse than this, and yet they 

 navigate those waters. Pshaw ! this is nothing." 



Or, if we had been all day in a dense fog, and some one happened 

 to remark that fogs were frequent, or that the Strait was likely 

 subject to fogs, the doctor would, with the greatest ease, talk the 

 whole fog out of existence. As for ice, the Neptune might plunge 

 and tear amongst it all day, and yet the doctor could see nothing in 

 it to interfere with navigation. It was only when she broke her 

 propeller that he yielded to any extent at all, and even that he 

 seemed to regard as an exceedingly small matter. 



Dr. Bell was understood to be not only the Expedition geologist, 

 but physician as well. However, when the Neptune got to sea we 

 found that he had no medicines except away under the hatch, 

 where they could not readily be had. Fortunately we had no occa- 

 sion for their use, except for minor complaints. The general health 

 of the men and crew was exceptionally good throughout ; the only 

 exception being that of the writer, whose continual sea-sickness, 

 while not enjoying the repose of a harbour, rendered him constantly 

 uncomfortable. The doctor pulled a few teeth, made up half a dozen 

 or so simple doses as they were required ; and, as no one was seriously 

 sick, and as he fortunately appeared averse to over-dosing, but little 



