616 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
spirit was willing to undergo his proportion of the fatigue, yet 
his infirmity in a great measure prevented him. George Taylor 
had half his foot frozen off, and therefore became a continual 
pensioner upon the exertions of his companions. Henry Ayre, 
the cook, was an old man, fit for the caboose, but unable to endure 
any great fatigue. Mr. Thom was an old man, clever and steady 
in his official capacity, but totally incapable of accomplishing 
any hard work. Mr. Me Diaymid, although a native of the 
north, had by some means acquired a few of the habits of the 
Gascon; for it was his boast, that when put to the trial, he 
would be found in strength equal to a brewers dray-horse, but 
when properly put to the sledge, he exhibited the power of a 
costermongers knacker. In the rear of these incapables, came 
Capt. Ross himself, the oldest of the old, whose boast it was, 
that he could drag as much as any of the crew; and thankful 
were they that they had such an efficient individual amongst 
them, who, although he could not exactly put his shoulder to 
the wheel, on any emergency, for the best of all reasons, that 
there was not any wheel to put it to, yet who, when harnessed 
to a sledge, could show the youthful part of the crew what a 
sexagenarian could perform in the way of rivalling a Hercules, 
or an Atlas. On the first travelling expedition, the drawing powers 
of Capt. Ross were put to the test, but the seamen soon per¬ 
ceived that he had a very peculiar method of dragging, par¬ 
taking somewhat of the character of the restive horse, who, 
instead of dragging, is obliged to be dragged along by the other 
horses, it was natural for the seamen to expect, when they saw 
their worthy captain apply himself to the traces, that the same 
diminution of the draught would be experienced, as when an 
additional horse is put to a team, to drag a load up a hill; but 
strange to say, the direct contrary was experienced, especially 
by those, .who were in the front, for it appeared to them, on a 
sudden, as if 1*2 or 14 additional stone were placed on the sledge ; 
not finding, however, that to be really the case, they directed 
their attention to discover the cause of such an unexpected im¬ 
position on their strength, when they found out that, although 
their captain had got hold of the traces, yet it was not forth e 
