Part 17 (1/2)
In the spring of 1907 I was in England, and before I left, ree of Doctor of Medicine of Oxford As it was the first occasion that that respectable old University had ever given that particular degree to any one, I was naturally not a little gratified The day of the conferring of it will ever live in y, half of whose life was spent in the desert of Egypt digging for papyri in old dust-heaps, was considered the most appropriate person to stand sponsor for me--a would-be pioneer of a new civilization in the sub-arctic
The words hich the Public Orator introducedin Latin, see as a relic rather than as a stateregii Procuratores: Adest civis Britannicus, hujus academiae olim alumnus, nunc Novum Orbem incolentibus quam nostratibus notus Hic ille est qui quindeciis in mari Boreali piscatoribus ope medica succurreret; quo in munere obeundo Oceani pericula, quae ibi formidosissima sunt, contempsit dum miseris et maerentibus solatium ac lumen afferret Nunc quantuiis, si fas est dicere, insistere videtur, vir vere Christianus Jure igitur eum laudamus cujus laudibus non ipse solum sed etiam Academia nostra ornatur
”Praesenta ad vos Wilfreduradum Doctoris in Medicina Honoris Causa”
As we, the only two Doctors Grenfell extant, marched solemnly back down the aisle side by side, the antithesis of what doctorates called for struck eous robes of scarlet box cloth and carain But some years later, when yet another honorary Doctorate, of Laas enerously conferred upon me by a University of our American cousins, I felt it incumbent on me to uphold if possible the British end of the ritual A cable brought me just in time the box-cloth surtout Commencement ceremonies in the United States are in June; and the latitude was that of Rome For years I had spent the hot months always in the sub-arctic The asse--not even all the graduating class could get in, ures The scarlet box cloth got hotter and hotter as we paraded in and about the caown in colour I have made many lobster men out of the boiled limbs of those admirable adjuncts of a Northern diet, but I had never expected to pose as one in the flesh Theimpression which the ceremony left on my mind is of my volunteer summer secretary, who stood almost on my toes as he delivered the valedictory address of his class I still see his gradually wilting, boiled collar, and the tiny rivulet which trickled down his neck as he warmed to his subject We were the best of friends, but I felt that glow of semi-satisfaction that coer the only one seasick on board
About this tiraciously presented me, as one of his birthday honours, with a Coe--most useful persons for any man to have as co faons and devils My Aazines knighted ot hts, and I had to appeal several ti dubbed _poseur_ I have protested at hted hted ainstI uttered a feeble protest against the title to which I have no right, andthe audience meanwhile that I was ”tooof the Order one elective latitude--it could either be sent out or wait till I returned to England and attended a levee with the other recipients I had a great desire to see the King, and, though it , I requested to be allowed to do so This not only was ranted, but also the perland be known to the Hereditary Grand Chaive me a private audience When the day arrived, I repaired to Buckingham Palace, where I waited for an hour in the reception rooyman as very affable I learned later that he was the Archbishop of Canterbury, as carrying a fat Bible froland, I believe, to be presented to the United States of America
At last Sir Frederick Treves, who kindly acted aswhose life his skill had saved
There a entleman made me perfectly at home, and talked of Labrador and North Newfoundland and our work as if he had lived there He asked especially about the Ahed heartily when I told hiladly taken the oath of loyalty to His Majesty, when called up to act as special constables for me in his oldest Colony He left the ilishh he had spoken hat I took to be a slight Gerames of the Colony I had noticed interested hienius of the people also found an appreciative echo in his heart When at last he handed ood-bye, I vowed I could sing ”God save the King” louder than ever if I could do so without harrowing the feelings of hbours
When later, as athe RAMC, the ribbon of the Order was actually of real service to h it proved a puzzle to every ADMS to whoo and worry hiinary line In England, and even in Anized one's as a real er scale--like that from our Minister to the Colonies, the Marquis of Ripon, who kindly had givenwhen first I visited Canada
How far signs of superiority are permissible is to my mind an open question Hereditary human superiority does not necessarily exist, because selective precautions are not taken, and the environment of the superior is very apt to enfeeble the physical machine, anyhow The question of the hereditary superiority of a ians History, which is the school of experience, belies the theory, whatever current science nificant that they do not as a rule go to scholars or even scientificphysical rewards for material services When these are in the possession of offspring no longer capable of rendering such services, it appears ridiculous that they should sail under false colours
Tohu unselfish and generous, or an earl for being a s which ood husband and father and comrade, has, so far as I know, never been tried Sohthood, are reserved for these However, an order of knightly citizens, so long as they are real knights, is, after all, little old key of the Phi Beta Kappa, or the red triangle of the YMCA worker, or the Red Cross badge of the nurse We are hu that they do have an undoubted stie of our developlishman seem permissible
CHAPTER XVII
THE REINDEER EXPERIMENT
Labrador will never be a ”vineland,” a land of corn and wine, or a country where fenced cities will be needed to keep out the h there may be other sections of the Empire that can produce more dollars, Labrador will, like Norway and Sweden, produce Vikings, and it is said that the un is still of some moment
In past years we haveto adapt possible food supplies to this clis of the hardiest cereal seeds known sent me They consisted of barley from Lapland, from Russia, from Abyssinia, Mansbury barley and Finnish oats All the seeds came frorown in latitude 63 30', which is two degrees north of Cape Chidley
I find in the notes of one of esand thunder had just passed over the boat and freshened up so in a box
It had been presented to me by the Governor to carry down to Battle Harbour, and I was very eager that it, ricultural venture, should not fail
Everywhere along the coast the inability to get a proper diet, owing to the difficulties of successful far even on ever so s soe I saw a poor woot a hen?” I asked her
”No, Doctor; I had one, but she died last year”
”Then why ever do you keep that rooster?”
”Oh! I hopes soer of the o out and walk around because of the dogs, so I just keeps he under that settle”
Pathetic as were her efforts at stock far, I must admit that my sympathies were all with the incarcerated rooster
The probles seemed an insurmountable one The Moravians'
records abound in stories of their destructiveness Mr Hesketh Pritchard writes: ”Dr Grenfell records two children and one s This is fortunately a much less terrible record than that shown farther north by the Moravian Missions The savage dogs did great har other accidents, a boy of thirteen, strong and well, was co home from his father's kayak to his mother After some time, as he did not arrive, they went to search for hiood part of hi to Battle Harbour Hospital, was killed by his dogs almost at our doors
The wolves of the country only pack when deer are about As a contrast to our dogs, wolves have never been known to kill a gish wolf than a wolfish dog It is an odd thing and a fortunate one that in this country, where it is very co, we never have been able to find any trace of hydrophobia