10 THE WORLD OF ICE.

member. He was tough, and sturdy, and grizzled,
a first-rate
specimen of a John Bull, and according to himself,
“always kept his weather-eye open.” This remark of
his was apt to create confusion in the minds of his
hearers; for John meant the expression to be under-
stood fieuratively, while, in point of fact, he almost
always kept one of his literal eyes open and the other
partially closed, but as he reversed the order of
arrangement frequently, he might have been said to
keep his lee-eye as much open as the weather one.

and broad, and square, and massive

 

This peculiarity gave to his countenance an expression
of earnest thoughtfulness mingled with humour.
Buzzby was fond of being thought old, and he looked
much older than he really was. Men guessed his age
at fifty-five, but they were ten years out in their
reckoning ; for John had numbered only forty-five
summers, and was as tough and muscular as ever he
had been—although not quite so elastic.

John Buzzby stood on the pier of the sea-port town
of Grayton watching the active operations of the crew
of a whaling-ship which was on the point of starting
for the ice-bound seas of the Frozen Regions, and.
making sundry remarks to a stout, fair-haired boy of
fifteen, who stood by his side gazing at the ship with
an expression of deep sadness.

“She's a trim-built craft and a good sea-boat, Pll
be bound, Master Fred,” observed the sailor; “ but
she’s too small by half, accordin’ to my notions, and I
have seen a few whalers in my day. Them bow-~