More adventures, though not sure of the point of thie novel In the Distance

The saga of Hakan continues through the first third or so of Hernan Diaz's In the Distance, as he is rescued from near death-delirium from exposure by a passing covered wagon and team and finds himself in the company of a biologist-physician-philosopher who expounds to H his various theories on the origin of species. (I think Darwin's work would have been well known by the time of these events, which I think are in the 1880s, but I could be wrong on both counts.) The physician's theories in essence are that everything on earth (and in the heavens) has evolved from the same basic matter, and he hopes to prove this by finding some sort of fossil in the salt basins of what seems to be Nevada or Utah. His search for the evidence leads to near-death for the entire expedition - he's a man obsessed, much like Ahab. From what he's learned from the physician, Hakan is able to save the man's life as they head back toward a settlement for supplies. En route, another adventure: they come across a native village that had been pillaged presumably by white settlers or brigands. They stay on this site for some time, healing many of the people - Hakan has learned a lot by now about medicine and battlefield surgery - as well as learning about the native views of life and death, w/ death being a mere absorption into the matter of the land, a counterpart to the physican's theory of evolution. Eventually, the physician (sorry I can't remember his name) sets off on another expedition into the salt basins and Hakan continues his journey east, hoping to find ihis brother when he gets to NYC. Not sure yet what the point of this novel is aside from its tales of adventure, but clearly we will learn more about the skills and authority that Hakan develops on his journey.