ing.

This interest was further increased by the graphic account that honest
John Buzzby gave of the death of poor Mrs Ellice, and the enthusiastic
way in which he spoke of his old captain. Fred, too, had, by his frank,
affable manner, and somewhat reckless disposition, rendered himself a
general favourite with the men, and had particularly recommended himself
to Mivins the steward (who was possessed of an intensely romantic
spirit), by stating once or twice, very emphatically, that he (Fred)
meant to land on the coast of Baffin's Bay, should the captain fail to
find his father, and continue the search on foot and alone. There was
no doubt whatever that poor Fred was in earnest, and had made up his
mind to die in the search, rather than not find him. He little knew the
terrible nature of the country in which for a time his lot was to be
cast, and the hopelessness of such an undertaking as he meditated. With
boyish inconsiderateness he thought not of how his object was to be
accomplished; he cared not what impossibilities lay in the way, but with
manly determination he made up his mind to quit the ship and search for
his father through the length and breadth of the land. Let not the
reader smile at what he may perhaps style a childish piece of
enthusiasm. Many a youth, at his age, has dreamed of attempting as
great if not greater impossibilities. All honour, we say, to the boy
who _dreams_ impossibilities, and greater honour to him who, like Fred,
_resolves to attempt them_! James Watt stared at an iron tea kettle
till his eyes were dim, and meditated the monstrous impossibility of
making that kettle work like a horse; and men might (perhaps did) smile
at James Watt _then_; but do men smile at James Watt _now_--now that
thousands of iron kettles are dashing, like dreadful comets, over the
length and breadth of the land, not to mention the sea, with long tails
of men, and women, and children behind them?

"That's 'ow it is, sir," Mivins used to say, when spoken to by Fred on
the subject, "I've never bin in cold countries myself, sir, but I've bin
in 'ot, and I knows that with a stout pair o' legs, and a will to work,
a man can work 'is way hanywhere. Of course there's not much of a
pop'lation in them parts, I've heer'd; but there's Heskimos, and where
one man can live, so can another, and what one man can do, so can
another--that's bin my hexperience, and I'm not ashamed to hown it, I'm
not, though I _do_ say it