IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 JSillM IM ?f ■- III Z2 1.4 IIM 1.6 if V] 'm /. 'm^ '^■^-^ ^> / / y /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation •n WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ts w- i-?. CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul6e r~n Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes g6ographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or b!ack)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. auire que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur D Bound with other material/ Ralii avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int6rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout6es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pages n'ont pas M filmies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mdthode normale de filmage sont indiquds ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^es Pages restored and/o( Pages restaurdes et/ou pelliculdes Pag<^s discoloured, stained or foxe( Pages d6color6es, tachetdes ou piqudes I I Pages damaged/ I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ I I Pag<^s discoloured, stained or foxed/ D D D D D Pages detached/ Pages ddtachdes Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of print varies/ Quality indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont dt6 film^es d nouveau de faqon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X y 12X 16X 20X 26X 30X n 24X 28X 32X itails i du odifier - une mage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: University of British Columbia Library The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exemplaire filmA fut reproduit grAce it la g6n6rosit6 de: University of British Columbia Library Les images suivantes ont 6x6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de lexemplaire fllm6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page wiih a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimde sont film^s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, seion le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmis en commanqant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —^ (meaning "CON- TINUED "), or the symbol y (meaning 'END '), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole --h*- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmis d des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est 1\\m6 A partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche 6 droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. irrata to pelure, n 6 □ 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 i ■'» ir ..jitM^S* S£Ji/Ii:S. ..M m LAiiRADOR; : -I It) ■ > ) iy^EW. »» ,4^:-' '« XIT WA^L.. .' C. A. :,rEPHENS. tJ!tiStrate6. '- -^f*' a • 'H ■ BOSTON: JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY, (LATK TICKNOS & FIELDS, AND FIELDS, OSGOOD, & CO.) 1872. iX I > .^.^-^-^^t* '., -i> ^ 67? YOUNG YACHTERS' SERIES. VOL. J I. LEFT ON LABRADOR; OR, THE Cruise of the Schooner -Yacht "Curlew." AS RECORDED BY ''WASH." edited by C. a. STEPHENS. lUustrateU. BOSTON: JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY, (LATB TICKNOR & FIELDS, AND FIELDS, OSGOOD, & CO.) 1872. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, By JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. '*3 Boston : Stereotyped and Printed by Rand, A very, 6r* Co. INTRODUCTION. rr^HOSE of our readers who may have read ± « Camping Out," the first volume of " Our Young Yachters' Series," will probably recall the circumstance of the graphite lode, and the man- ner in which it was left to Raed to dispose of. As the season was too far advanced at the time of his negotiations with -the unknown gentlemen to permit of a trip to Katahdin that fall, the whole affair was postponed till the following spring. On the 27th of April, Raed set out for Bangor. At Portland, Me., he was joined by the gentlemen (their names we are not at liberty to give) ; and at Bangor Kit met the party. Thence they went up to the mountain, where they had no difficulty in rediscovering the lode. That the examination was satisfactory will be seen from the first chapter lU IV INTUODUCTION. of young Burleigh's narrative, which we suhjoin. It is an account of their first yacht-cruise north. The schooner " Curlew," with the party, sailed from " Squam " (Gloucester, north village) on the 10th of June. On the 7th of July they made Cape Resolution on the north side of the entrance of Hudson Straits. Thenceforward, till their escape from that icy passage in August, their voyage was one continued series of startling adventures amid some of the grandest and most terrible scenery the earth affords. Of the plan of self-education adopted and acted upon by these young gentlemen we may remark, that it is singularly bold and original in its concep- tion. If persevered in, we have no doubt that the result will fully justify their expectations. Unless we are much mistaken, it will be, as they modestly hope, a pioneer movement, looking to a much- needed revolution in the present sedentary pro- gramme of collegiate study. 1 OONTEl^TS. CHAPTER I. „.^„ FAOE. Sequel to the » Graphite Lode." -The Fifteen Thoueand Dollars, and how it was invested. - About the Yacht. - The Schooner " Curlew." ^lapt. Hazard. - Guard. - The Gloucester Boys, - " Palmleaf, Bar." -Getting Ready for the Voyage. -Ship-Stores. -The How- itzer.— The Big Rifle.— A Good Round Bill at the Outset . . 1 CHA-TER n. Up Anchor, and away. -What the Old Folks thought of it. -The Narrator's Preface. - •' Squeamish." - A North-easter. - Foggy. - The Schooner "Catfish." -Catching Cod-Fish on the Grand Bank. — The First Ice.— The Polar Current. — The Lengthening Day.— Cape Farewell. -We bear away for Cape Resolution. -Hudson's Straits. — Its Ice and Tides 17 CHAPTER m. Cape Resolution. — The Entrance into Hudson's Straits. — The Sun in the North-east. -The Resolution ClifTs.- Sweating among Icebergs. -A Shower and a Fog. -An Anxious Night. -A Strange Rum- bling. — Singular Noises and Explosions. — Running into an Iceberg. — In Tow. — A Big Hailstone drops on Deck. — Boarding an Ice- berg.— Solution of the Explosions.— A Lucky Escape . 32 I ' CONTENTS. CnAPTEIl IV. PAOE. Tho Fog lifts. — A Whalo in SiKht. — Craggy Black Mountains capped with Snow. — A Novel Currla,i,'o for the Big Rifle. — Mounting tho Howitzer. — A Doubtful Hliot. — Tho Lower Savage Isles. — A Deep Inlet. — '"Mazard'a Bay." — A Desolate Inland. — An Ice- Jam.— A Strange Blood-red Light. — Solution of tho Mystery. — Going Ashore. — Barren Ledges. — Beds of Moss. — A Bald Peak. — An Alarm. — The Schooner in Jeopardy. — Tho Crash and Thun- der of thu Ice. — Tremendous Tides • 62 CHAPTER V. ADcad NarwhaL — Soowy Owls.- Two Bears In Sight. — Firing on theai with the Howitzer. — A Bear-Uunt among the Ice. — An Ice "Jungle." — An Ei citing Chase. — Tho Bear turns. — Paimleaf makes "a Sure Shot." — "Run, you Black Son!" . , . . T3 CHAPTER VT. The Middle Savage Isles. — Glimpse of an Esquimau Canoe. — Firing at a Bear with the Cannon-Rinc. — A Strange Sound. — The Esqui- maux. — Their Kayaks. — They come on Board. — An Unintelligiblo Tongue.- "Chymo " 84 CHAPTER VII. The Husky Belles. — We-we and Caubvick. — "Abb," she said. — All Promenade. — Candy at a Discount. — '^Pillitai/, Plllitay!" — Old Trull and the Husky Mutrou. — Gorgeous Gifts. — Adieu to the Arctic Beauties 101 CHAPTER Vni. The Husky Chief. —Paimleaf Indignant. —A Gun. — Sudden Appari- tion of the Company's Ship. — We hold a Hasty Council. — In the Jaws of the British Lion. — An Armt^d Boat. — Repel Boarders ! — Red-face waxes wrathful. — Fired on, but no Bones broken , . 114 OIIAPTER IX. A Barren Shore, and a Strange Animal, which is captured by blowing up its Den. — Paimleaf falls in with the Esquimaux, and is chased by them.— " Twcm-ve! " — ^'A Close Shave."— An Attack threat- ened. —The Savages dispersed with the Howitzer , , . . 133 CONTENTS. tU PAGE. ped the -A CUAPTER X. PAGE. The Dip of tho Necdlo. — Tho North Magnetic Polo. — A Kayak Bot- tom up, with its Owner Head down. —Ice-Patche«. — Anchoring to an Ico-Floo. — A Bear-Hunt in tho Fog. — Bruin charges hla Enemlea. — Soundings. — Tho Depth 0/ ^he Strait* , ... 163 62 73 CHAP I .UR XI. «« Isle Aktok." — A Soa-Horso and a Sea-HofrtO Hunt. — In High Splritn. — Sudden Interruption of the Hunt — ^i iloavy Qun. — Tho Race to the Ledge-Topa. — Too Late —A Disheartening Spectacle. — Surprised by tho Company's Ship. — Tho Schooner in Peril. — Capt. Hazard bravely waits. —The Flight of -The Curlew" amid a Shower of Balls. — Tho Chase. — Left on the Islet.— A G'oomy Prospect. — " What shall we have for Grub to ate ? " — Wild-Geeee. — Egging. — *'iJoo»n."' — A Soa-Horse Fire 165 84 CHAPTER XII. The " Spider."— Fried Eggs. — The " Plates." — " Awful Fresh I "— No Salt. -Plana for getting Salt from Soa-Water.— Ice -Water. — Fried Goose. — Plans to escape. — A Gloomy Night. — Fight with a Walrus. — Another " jrood-PiZe." — Wade Sick. — A Peevish Pa- tient and a Fractious Doctor. —The Manufacture of Salt . . . 187 101 CHAPTER Xm. . More Salt. — Some Big Hailstones. — A Bright Aurora.— The Look- out. — An Oomiak heaves in Sight. — The Huskies land on a Neigh borlnglsland.- Shall we join them? — A Bold.SinguIar, not to say Infamous, Proposition from Kit. — Some Sharp Talk. — Kit's Pro- ject carried by Vote 207 114 133 CHAPTER XIV. We set up a Military Despotism on " Isle Aftok."— " No Better than Filibusters!" — The Seizure of the Oomiak. — The Seal-Tax. —A Case of Discipline. — Wutchee and Wunch?e. — The Inside of a Husky IIut. — "Eigh, Eigh!" — An Esquimau Ball. — A Funeral. — Wutchee and Wuuchee's Cookery. — The Esquimau Whip . 222 Vlll CONTENTS. > CHAPTER XV. PAGE. Winter at Hand.— "We hold a Serious Council. — '» Cold! oh, how Coldl" — A Midnight Gun. — The Return of "The Curlew." — "A J'yful 'Casion.''- A Grand Distribution of Presents, — Good-by to the Husky Girls. — A Singular Savage Song. — We All get Senti- mental. — Adieu to «' Isle Aktok." — Homeward Bound. — We en- gage " The Curlew " and her Captain for Another Year ... 243 PAGE. oh, how "-"A od-by to t Senti- We en- . 243 LEFT ON LABRADOR. CHAPTER I. Sequel to the »' Graphite Lode." - The Fifteen Thousand Dollars, and how it was invested. - About the Yacht. -The Schooner " Curlew." - Capt. Hazard. - Guard. - Tlie Gloucester Boys. - " Palmleaf, Sar.' - Getting Ready for the Voyage. -Ship-Stores.- The Howitzer. -The Big lUfle. — A Good Round Bill at the Outset. KAED got homo from Katalidin on tlie niglit of the 15th of May. Kit came with him; and together they called on Wade and the writer of the following narrative early on the morning of the ICth. Brown enough both hoys looked, exposed as they had been to the tanning winds for more than a fortnight. • "Jubilate!" shouted Raed as I opened the door. "Latest news from Mount Katahdin, — graphite stock clean up to the moon ! " Wade came looking down stairs, nothing on but his gown and slippers. At sight of his tousled head both our callers gave a whoop of recognition, and set upon hi,^i,_ shook him out of his slippers, and pulled him down the steps on to the sidewalk barefoot ; thereby 1 1 fl i 1! 2 LEFT ON LABRADOH. scandalizing a whole lionsoful of prim clarahols across the street, who indignantly pulled down their curtains. Sucli a liand-shaking and back-patting as ensued ! All the hardships and discouragement we had endured on our last season's expedition seemed to bear an e^-'ult- ant liarvest in this our final success. "But. you haven't been to breakfast!" exclaimed Kit. " So they haven't ! " cried Ilaed. " Well, can't do business till they have their breakfast. We'll leave 'em to guzzle their coffee in peace. But hurry up ! We must hold a council this morning, — ^have a grand pow-wow ! Come round at nine sharp," They were off. We ate breakfast, and went down to Raed's, where we got into the back parlor, shut the doors, and pro- ceeded to pow-wow. Wade was chosen president of the meeting ; Kit, secretary. "First," said Ilaed, "allow me to give an account of my stewardship. No need of going into details. Wo went up to Katahdin ; found the lode. Messrs. Ham- mer and Tongs were well satisfied. The fifteen thou- sand dollars was paid without so much as winking. Might have had twenty thousand dollars just as well ; Ijut I didn't know it when I made the offer. Hope you won't be dissatisfied with me. Here's the money ; two checks, — one on the First National Bank for nine thousand dollars, the other on the Maverick National Bank for six thousand dollars." • "I move we accept the gentleman's statement, and tender our sincere thanks for his eminently successful services," said a yoi(3e. 1 'I LEFT ON LABL'ADOR. The motion was seconded by Kit, and carried. " Question now arises," Kaed resumed, " What shall we do with this money ? Of course we must pLant it somewhere, liave it growing, what we don't want to use immediately." "Might speculate a little with it," suggested Wade, " so as to double it up along." " And risk losing the whole of it," put in Kit. "'Xotiiing risked, nothing gained,' " quoted Wade. " What say, Kaed? Why not buy gold ? " " Better put it into bonds," said Kit ; " safer, a good deal." . "Don't know about that," remarked Wade. "Your abolition government may turn a somersault some fine morning. J) "Well, it won't strike on its head if it does, — like a certain government we've all heard of," retorted Kit. "Call the president and secretary to order, some- body ! " cried llaed. "Now about buying gold," he continued. "There's nothing to be made in gold just now, especially with fifteen thousand dollars : if we had a million, it might be worth talking of. I really don't just know where to put our little fifteen thousand dollars to make it pull the hardest. Suppose we run down and have a talk with our legal friend, Mr. H " (the same who l^^d advised us relati/e to the "lode"). " All right." • We went down. Our gentleman had just come in. llaed stated our case. H heard it. LEFT ON LABKADOR. "^ "So you want to speculate a little," said lie pleas- antly. " Good boys. That's right. Won't work your- selves ; won't even let your money work honestly : want to set it to cheating somebody. Well, you must re- member that the biter sometimes gets bitten." " Oh ! we don't want any thing hazardous," explained Eaed. " Yes, I see," remarked Mr. H ; " something not too sharp, sort of over and above board, and tolera- bly safe." " That's about our style," remarked Wadei " Well, 1 ni doing a little something by way of Back- bay land speculation. That would be near home for 3^ou ; and you can go in your whole pile, or only a thou- sand, just as you choose." " Back-bay land," said Kit. " Where is this Back- bay land?" " Well, there you've got me," replied Mr. H , laughing. "It would be rather hard telling Avhere the land is. In fact, the land is most all watGV. The land part has yet to be made. There's room to make it, however. I mean out in the Back Bay, north-west of the city here, along the Charles Biver. City is growing ra[>idly out that w^ay. We have got up a sort of coin])any of share-owners of the space out on the tidal marsh. These shares can be bought and sold. As I said, the city is growing in that direction. There's a steady rise in value per square foot. Value may double in a year. But in ten thousand now, and it may be Wijrth twenty by next year at this time." " But is there really any bottom to it ? " asked Wade. i IL ■'"^ LEFT ON LABRADOR. !as- ur- Lllt re- '^Oh, yes! geologists think there's bottom out tliere somewliere. But wo shareholders doirt trouble ourselves about the bottom." " I mean bottom to the compani/,^^ interrupted Eaed. "Yes, yes. Well, that's another matter. 7Jut then you will be dealt honestly with, if that's what you mean by bottom. Of course, you must take the risk with the rest of us. You put in ten thousand: and, if you want me to do so, I will be on the lookout for your interests; tell you when to sell, you know ; and, in case there should be like to come a crash, I'll tip you a wink when to stand from under." " Then you advise us to invest in tliis ? " queried Eaed. '•Well, I should say tliat it was as well as you can do." " What say, fellows ? " Eaed inquired, turning to us. "Perhaps we could not do better," said Kit. '' I sup- pose this property comes under the head of real estate ; and real estate is generally considered safe property. You call it real estate, don't you, Mr. H ? "Yes, 3'es; as near real estate as any thing. It's kind of amphibious ; half real estate certainly, — more'n half when the tide is out." So we purchased that afternoon, through IMr. II , ten thousand dollars' worth of Back-bay land. Of our remaining five thousand dollars, we put three thousand dollars into 7.30 bonds, and deposited the remaining two thousand dollars ready for immediate use. That was about all we did that day. In the evening we went to hear Nilsson^ who was then 6 LEFT ON LABRADOR. in town; and the next morning met at nine, at Raed's again, to pow-wow fiirllier concerning the yacht. " It is too hite," said Kit after we were again snug in the hack parlor, " to get a yacht huilt and launched so as to make a voyage this summer. Such a vessel as we want can't be built and got off the stocks in much, if any, less than a year. What are we to do meanwhile ? ^ wait for it ? " "InV' said Wade. "No," saidTvaed. " What then ? " asked Kit. " Hire a vessel," I suggested. % " Can we do that ? " asked Wade. It seemed likely that we could. " Has it ever occurred to any of you that we none of us kjiow any thing about sailing a vessel ? — any thing to speak of, I mean ? " Kit inquired. We had all been vaguely aware of such a state of things ; but not till now had we been brought face to face with it. " It would be the worst kind of folly for us to go out of port alone," I coiddn't help saying. "Of course it would," replied Kit. " I'm well aware of that," said Eaed. " We shall have to learn seamanship somehow." " Besides," remarked W^ade, "sailing a vessel wouldn't be very light nor very pleasant work for us, I'm thinking. If we could afford to hire a good skipper, it would be better." " We shall have to hire one till" we learn how to manage a vessel ourselves," replied Raed. ; f "m LEFT ON LABRADOR. " And not only a skipper, but sailors as well," said Kit. " What shall ive he able to do the first week out, especially if it be rough weather ? " " Do you suppose we shall be much seasick ? " Wade asked suddenly. " Very likely we shall bo sick, when it's rough, for a while," said Raed. "We must expect it, and get over it the -best way we can." ' " Now, suppose we are able to hire a schooner such as we want, with a skipper, and crew of five or six," he continued : " where shall we make our first cruise ? " " Along the coast of INIaine," I suggested. " From Casco Bay to Eastport. Several yachts were down there last summer. Found good fishing. Had a fine time. There are harbors all along, so that they could go in evei night. " Just the place for our first voyage ! " exclaimed Wade. " It seems to me," replied Eaed, " that if we hire a good stanch schooner and skipper, with a crew, we might do something more than just cruise along the coast of Maine, fish a little, and then come back." " So it does to mo," said Kit. " We should never get on our polar voyage at that rate. If we are going into all this expense, let's go up as far as the ' Banks ' of Newfoundland, anyway." "And why not a little farther," said Eaed, "if the weather was good, and we met with no accident ? If every thing went well, why not sail on up to the entrance of Hudson Straits, and get a peep at the Esquimaux ?" "Ptaed never'll be satisfied till he gets inlo Hudson 8 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ! ! Bay," laugliod Wade. " Wliat is there so attractive about Hudson Bay? I can't imagine." "Because," said Bacd, "it's an almost unknown sea Ever since it was first discovered by tlie noble navigator, "who perished somewhere along its shores, it has been shut up from tlie world in the hands of a few selfish in- dividuals, who got the charter of the'^ Hudson-bay Com- I)any from the King of England. They own it and all the country about it, and run it for their own jn-ofit only. About that great bay there is a coast-line of more than two thousand miles, with Indian tribes on its shores as wild and savage as when Columbus first came to America. Just think of the adventure and wild scenery one might witness on a voyage round there ! It's a shame we Americans can't go in there if we want to. The idea of letting half a dozen little red-faced men in London rule, hold, and keep everybody els'e out of that great region ! It's a disgrace to us. Their old charter ought to have been taken away from them long ago. I don't know that I shall go there this jear, nor next : but I mean to go into that bay some time, and sail round there, and trade and talk with the savages as much as I choose ; and, if the company undertakes to hinder me, I'll fight for it ; for they've no moral right nor business to keep us out." " Good on your head ! " cried Kit, patting him encour- agingly. " A war with England seems to be imminent ! " ex- claimed Wade. "^Methinks I hear the boom of can- non ! " Haed looked dubious a moment, but immed li % »' II LEFT ON LABRADOR. a Iff to laugh. He is rather apt to ily ofT on such tangents. Wo liave to sprinkle him with ridicule a little: that always brings him oat of it all right again. " Well," said he, " waiving that subject, what say for going as far north as Hudson Straits, if every thing should work favorably ? " We had none of us any thing to urge against this. " But we must not forget that we have not yet hired a vessel," added Kit. "No," said Eaed; "and the sooner we find out what we can do, the better." That afternoon Wade and I wont down to the wharves to make inquiries. Eaed and Kit went out to Glouces- ter, it being quite probable that some sort of a craft might be found out of employ there. AYade and I were unable to see or hear of any thing at all to our minds in our harbor, and came up home at abcut seven, P.M. Kit and llaed had not got back ; nor did they come in the morning, nor during the next day. A few minutes be- fore eight in the evening, however, we received a despatch from Portland, Me., saying, " Come down and sec it." We went down on the morning train. The boys were at the depot. "Couldn't find a thing at Gloucester nor No wbury- port nor Portsmouth," said Eaed. " But I think we've struck something here, if we can stand the expense." "Eight out here at the wharf,'- said Kit. We walked across. " There she is !" pointed Eaed. A pretty schooner of a hundred and seventy tons lay alongside. 10 LEFT ON LAnnADOR. I i "Olio 3'(!ar old/' lliic'd exphiincd. " Clean and swoot as a nut. llcro from IJanj^or willi })ino-liunl>er. Cap- tain's a youngish man, l)ut a good sailor. Wo inquirod about him. Appears like a good follow too. Has boon on a cod-lisher up to tho IJanks ; also on a sealer off Labrabor. He's our man, I think." "And the best of it all is," said Kit, "ho owns the sehoonor ; can go if he's a mind to. So we sha'u't be botlujrod with any old musty-fusty owners." ■' Well, what does he say ? " asked Wade. " He says he will put us up there this summer if we will give him a hundred dollars per month, pay full in- surance fees on the vessel, hire him six good seamen, and give three hundred dollars for the use of schooner ; we, of course, to furnish ship -stores and provide a cook." " Gracious ! that's going to cost us something," said 1. " Yes ; but it's about the best and only thing we can do," said Kit. "Why does he want a new crew?" Wade asked. " Why does he not keep these he has ? " " Says that these arc all inexperienced, — green hands," replied Eaed. "If we are going up there among the ico on a dangerous coast, he wants Gloucester boys, — Gloucester or Nantucket ; prefers Gloucester. Thinks six Gloucester lads will be about the right thing." " Where is he ? " asked Wade. " Up at the Preble House." We wont up ; when Wade and I were formally intro- duced to Capt. George Muzard of the schooner "Cur- lew." Had dinner with him. Liked him. He appeared . LKFT ON LABRADOR. 11 tlien, as we luive since proved liim, a tliorouglily good- heiirted, clear-lioadcd sailor. As Kaed had liiiitcd, lio was quito a yoniig man, — not more than twenty seven or eight ; middh; height, but strong ; face brown and frank ; features good ; manner a little serious ; and atten- tive to business when on duty. On the whole, the man was rather grave for one of his years. Occasionally, however, when any thing particularly pleased him, lie developed a vein of strong, rich mirth, which would endure for several hours. He impressed us at once as a reliable man, — one to be depended on under any ordi- nary circumstances. We decided (very wisely as I now think) to accept his offer ; and, after dinner, went down to the Marine Insurance Office to take out a policy on the vessel. On learning that we were intending to enter Hudson Straits, the agent refused to underwrite us : it was too ugly a risk. He cither couldn't or didn't want to understand the object of our voyage. Here was a stick. Capt. Mazard declined to sail uninsured unless we would take the risk. We did not much like to do that. Finally Raed offered on our side to assume one- half the risk. After some hesitation, this was agreed to ; and a paper to that effect was drawn up and signed. We then went down to the wharf where " The Cur- lew" lay. A fine, shaggy Newfoundland dog, black as a crow, came growling up the companion-way as wo jumped down on deck, but, perceiving the captain, began to race and tear about witli great barks of canine delight. "That's a jolly big dog! "'Kit remarked. "Keeps watch here while you are off?" I 12 LEFT ON LAP.RArOR. "Yos, sir. Don't want u Letter liand. Kevcr loaves tlu! schooner williout I bid him. Want.** his dinner too, I guess. I liaven't been liere since hist night." "What's liis name?" said Wade. "Guard." " lie's a noble fellow," observed Eaed. " Hope you will take him along with j^ou." "I shoidtl be loath to go off without him." Some changes below deck seemed m ssary; and wo arranged for liaving the hold floored ow i, and a sort of rough saloon made, running nearly the whole length of the vessel. Oif the forward end of this saloon was to be parted a cook's galley, with another section for tho seamen's berths. Also arranged for a skylight in tho deck ; in short, for having tho schooner made as con- venient as possible for our purpose, at our expense. Leaving Capt. IMazard to superintend these changes, we went back to (Gloucester in the morning, and during the day managed to hire six sailors, young fellows of eighteen and twenty, save one, an old sea-dog of fifty or thereabouts, at forty dollars per month. They looked a little rough, but turned out to be very good sailors; which WMS tlie most w^e wanted. Their names, as they gave them to us, were Richard Donovan, Henry Corliss, Jerry Ilobbs, Thomas I>onney, and George Weymouth. The elder salt called himself John Somers ; though it leaked out shortly after that he had formerly flourished under the less euphonious patronymic of Solomon Trull. Went home that evening, and the next day advertised for a cook. It was answered by three colored " gem- men," two of whom modestly withdrew their application t i: LKFT ON LAnnADOPv. 13 ■y whon tlmy found wlicrn wo woro goiiv^, not cari^j; to bravo tho olull of polar latiluaos. Tho othor, who was not a littlo tattorcnl in liis war.lrol)o, and corrospondinsly rockless, was quite willing to sot bis faoe toward tho polo.' Although hut rocontly from " Sou' Car'liny, sar," and black as a crow, ho assured us ho could stand the cold '^jt's' like a fly, sar." " What name ? " Raed asked. « Charles Sumner Harris, sar. Boon cook on oyster- schooner, sar." "Charles Sumner Harris!" exclaimed Wado, who was coming in. " You never wore tliat name in South Carolina." "No, sar; lately 'dopted it, sar." " What was your old name ? " demanded Wado, look- ing at hhn as if he was about to give him live hundred lashes. The man hesitated. " Whon you were a slave, I mean. Yes, you were : don't deny it." " They called me Palmleaf don, sar." " Very well : that's what I shall call you. None of your Charles Sumner TTarriscs ! " "Oh! don't bully him," Kit said. "Give him a chance for himself." " ^Ve shall see enough of his airs," Wade muttered. He was a rather hard-looking citizen. Wo engaged him, however, at thirty dollars a month; and it is but simple justice to him and his race to add, that, like the traditionary singed cat, he did better than his general appearance would have guaranteed at that time. 14 LEFT ON LABRADOR. TIh' noxt morning wo wrote to Capt. Mazartlwith di- rections to take " The Curlew " into Gloucester as soon as the carponter-Avork was finislied. lie would need two or three liands temporarily. These were to be hired, and tlieir car-fare back to Portland paid, at our expense. Anotlusr matter now came up. It was quite possible that we might encounter ice at the entrance of Davis Straits, as well as in Hudson Straits, if we should ven- ture in there : indeed, we might be caught in the ice. " The Curlew," though a stanch schooner, was only strengthened in the ordinary way. "Will it not be best and safest," Raed argued, "to have her strengthened with cross-beams and braces? A few strong beams of this sort might save the vessel from being crushed." As we were held to pay half the cost of the schooner in case of such an accident, to say nothing of our per- sonal peril, we judgcnl it prudent to neglect no means to render the voyage as" safe as possible. Accordingly, we went out to Gloucester, and arranged for having it done ; also for getting in water and fuel. In short, there seemed no end to the items to be seen to. If ever four fellows were kept busy, we were the four from the 2()th of INIay to the Gth of June. Our ship-stores wo bought in IJos- ton, and had thom sent to Gloucester by rail. It seemed desirable for us landsmen to have our food as nearly like that wo had been in the habit of having as possible. AVe accordingly purchased five barrels of flour (not a little of it spoiled) at eight dollars per barrel; three of salt pork at sixteen dollars per barrel ; two of beef at twelve dollare ; six of potatoes at two dollars and fifty LEFT oin Labrador. 15 I cents ; two fifty-pound tubs of butter at thirty-five cents per pounJ; cofFee, tea, sugar, and "preserves" to the tune of sixty dollars ; and two hundred pounds coi-n-nieal, four dollars. . . . Then there were a score of other lit- tle necessaries, amouuting to near fifty dollars ; in all, a bill of two hundv;d and seventy-four dollars. These stores were bought at our own suggestion. It would have been better to have taken the advice of some expe- rienced shipmaster: it might have cost us less, and we should afterwards have fared better, to have done so. I remember that we took along a lot of confection- eries, both for our own delectation and also to "treat" the Esquimaux on ! That was a wild shot. As well offer an Esquimau cold boiled parsnip as a stick of cand}i. Wo also had two boxes of lemons ! Which of ns was responsible for the proposition for lemonade in Hudson Straits has never been satisfactorily settled. We none of us can remember how the lemons came on board. Wade says they were bought as au antidote for sea-sick- ness. A far more sensible article of traffic was twenty dollars' worth of iron in small bars ; four dozen largo jack-knives ; twenty butcher-knives, and the same num- ber of hatcliets. We had also a web of jed flannel at twenty dollars; in all, ninety dollars. For mattresses, blankets, "comforters," and bufl'ulo- skins, there was expended the sura of a hundred and twenty-three dollars. Ten Springfield rifles at ten dol- lars each (bought at an auction-sale), with a quantity of cartridges, one hundred and twelve dollars. For an old six-pound howitzer, purchased byCapt. IMazard from a schooner supposed to have been engaged in the slave- IG LEFT ON LABRADOR. I w:. trade, nineteen dollars ; and for ammunition (powder, iron shot, and a lot of small bullets), thirty-seven dol- lars. For firing at seals or bears from the deck of the schooner, we had made, at Messrs. R. & Co.'s machine- shop, a large rifle of about an inch bore, and set like a miniature cannon in a wrought-iron frame, arranged with a swivel for turning it, and a screw for elevating or de- pressing the muzzle. This novel weapon was, as I must needs own, one of my projection, and was always a subject for raillery from my comrades. Its cost, including the mounting, was ninety-seven dollars. In all, three hundred and eighty-eight dollars. Then they were other bills, including the cost of sev- eral nautical telescopes, also ice-anchors, ice-chisels, sounding-lino, hawsers, &c., to the sum of a hundred and three dollars. The lumber and carpenter work on " The Curlew " at Portland made a bill of a hundred and nine dollars ; seamen's wages to Gloucester, with car- faro back, nine- teen dollars ; brae" ig and strengthening the schooner, sixty-seven dollars ; cost of getting in fuel and water, thirty-three dollars; and other bills to the amount of forty-nine dollars : in all, two hundred and seventy-seven dollars. We had thus to payout at the start over eleven hundred dollars. Capt. INUazard, too, was kept as busy as ourselves superintending the work, putting the vessel in ballast, &c. Indeed, it's no small job to get ready for such a cruise. We had no idea of it when we began. I CHAPTEK II. Up Anchor, and away. — "What the Old Folks thoncrht of it. — The Nar- rator's Preface. — "Squeamish." — A North-easter,— Foggy.— The Schooner "'Catiish."— Catching CodFish on the Grand Bank. — Tlie First Ice. — Tiie Polar Current.— The Lengthening Day. — Capo Fare- well. —We bear away for Cape Resolution. — Hudson's Straits. — Ita Ice and Tides. [In Wash's manuscript, the voyage as far as Cape Resolution occupies four chapters. We have been obliged to condense it into one, as indicated by periods. — Ed.] ON the afternoon of the 9tli of June, Capt. Mazard telegraphed, " Can sail to-morrow morning if the winds serves." We had been ready several days, waiting for the last job, — strengthening the schooner. Good-by was said ; and, going out to Gloucester, wo went on board to pass the night. As some of our readers may perhaps feel inclined to ask what our "folks" said to this somewhat adventurous departure, it may as well l)0 stated that we were obliged to go consideraltly in opposition to their wishes, advice, counsel ; in short, every thing that could be said save a downright veto. It was unavoidable on our part, Tlioy could net be brought to look upon our (or rather Eaed's) project of self-education as we did: they saw only tlie 18 LEFT ON LABRADOR. danger of tlie sea. Had we done as they advised, we sliould have staid at Lome. I sliall not take it upon me • to say wliat we oiu/hl to have done. As a matter of fact, we went, or this narrative would never luive been writ- ten. Nor can I say conscientiously, by way of mor- al, that we were ever, for any great length of time, sorry that we went : on the contrary, I now believe it far the best way we could have spent our money ; though the experience was a rough one. It may also be added, that we did not publicly state our intention of going so far north as Labrador; one reason for this being, that we were in no wise certain we should go farther than St. John's, iSTcwfoundland. Our "saloon" was arranged with a sort of divan, or wide seat, along the starboard-side, at about chair-height. On this we laid our mattresses and blankets. Each had . liis bunk, this divan serving in the place of berths. The captain had his toward the forward end of the apartment. Guard bunked directly under him on an old jacket and pants. Along the port-side there was made fast a strong broad shelf, at table-height, running the entire length : this was for our books and instruments. The captain had the forward end of it, the part fronting his buidv, for his charts and papers. Before this table there was a long bench, fi>ced conveniently for sitting to read or write. This bench, together witli three strong bar- room-chairs and four camp-stools, made up our sitting- accommoilations. From pegs over the divan and table there hung a miscellaneous collection of powder-horns, rifles, fishing-tackle, tarpauling-hats, rubber coats, and sou'-westers ; " nor had I failed to bring along the old y, li . LEFT ON LABRADOR. 19 Sliarpe's rifle wliicli lia;l done sucli good service among the moose-stags of Katalidiii. . . . We had brought "rahnleaf- with us, and now installed him in the galley. As a specimen ol' his art, we had him make muffins and tea that evening. Very fair they were, with butter and canned peaches. The men came down during the evening, having been previously notified, and were assigned to their berths. We boys turned in at about eleven, and were only aroused next morning by the rattle of blocks, clank of the windlass, and trampling of feet, on deck. ' "We're oif!" exclaimed Eaed, starting up. "Turn out, and say farewell to 'our native countree.' " We stumbled up on deck ; for it was still quite dark : only a joale-briglit belt along the ocean to the eastward showed the far-oif coming of the day. The shore and the village looked black as night. We were already several hundred yards from the wharf. A smart, cold breeze gushed out of the north-west. The huge, dim- white sails were filling: "The Curlew " gathered way, and stood out to sea. T\ "> chilling breeze, the motion, the ink-black waves, and their sharp cracking on the beach, "ncre alto .''ether a little disheartening at first, coming so Suddenly from sleep. We felt not a little inclined to shrink back to our warm blankets ; but, mastering this feeling, braced our courage, and drew breath for our long cruise. The captain came aft. " Ah ! good-morning ! " he cried, seeing us hud- dled about the companion-Avay. " I meant to get off without waking you. We made too much noise, I suppose. Smart breeze this. Make ten knots on it, 20 LEFT ON LABK'ADOR. easy. Could put you to tlic notiJi jtole in fifteen da^-'S with such a capful, — if there were uo ice in the way," he added. " We might soon be at Iludsou Straits were this to hold," laughed Kit. . "Yes, sir," replied the captain. "Eight (^a3''S would do it. But of course this is mere fin^. talk. You are not to look for any thing of the sort." " We don't," said Haed. "But how long do you sup- pose it will take to work up there with ordinary weather ? " "Oh! well, for a guess, eighteen days, — anywhere from eighteen to twenty-live. Oughtn't to be over twenty-five with this schooner. Will sail thirteen knots on a wind." . . . We were now fairly clear of the shore. The wind freshened. "The Curlew " dashed forward, rising and falling with the swells. The whole east was reddening. The dark spar of the bowsprit rose and fell through it. It seemed a good omen to be going toward the light. Ere the sun met us on the sea, we were twelve miles out of Gloucester. ... Kit had often complained that ho had been unable to write up the account of our Katahdin expedition so well as he could have done had he known beforehand that it would have fallen to him to do. At his suggestion, Kaod, Wade, and myself, this morning, drew lots to see who would be the historian of the present cruise. The reader, doubtless, has already inferred which of us got the short lot. Well, it was fun for the others, though any thing but fun for me. Nothing but a strong sense of LEFT OX LABRADOR. 21 restraining sliame, added to tlie rather inconvcni(>nt dis- tance from land, prevented me from deserting. Nature never designed me for a writer. Of that I am convinced ; and doubtless njy readers will not long differ with mo. This is my first literary effort. If I know myself, it will also be my last. Under these circumstances, I beg that such of my young fellow-citizens as may happen to come upon tills narrative (and I am not ambitious to have the number large) will kindly forbear to criticise it ; for it will not bear criticism. Such of the facts and incidents of our voyage as I have thought would bo of interest I have tried to write out. Strictly nautical terms and phrases I have sought to avoid : first, because I believed them of no great interest to the general reader ; second, because, with this my first sea-trip, I have not become adept enough in their use to " swing " them with the fluent grace of your true-going, irresistible old salt ; and from any other source they are, to my mind, unendurable. In the plan of education we have marked out for our- selves, it has not been our intention to become sailors. We would merely use the sea and its ships as a means of conveyance in our scheme of travel. . . . Breakfast at six o'clock ; two messes, — one of the crew, the other comprising our party and the captain. The men had boiled potatoes, fried pork, corn-broad, and biscuit. At our table we had roast potatoes and butter with corn-bread, then biscuit and butter with canned tomatoes. After breakfast, we went on deck a while ; but the motion was far too great for comfort. The breeze held. The coast of Massachusetts was low in the west. To the north, the mountains of Maine showed blue on the » 22 LEFT ON LABRADOR. horizon. We went below to read. Head had bought, borrowed, and secured every work lie could hear of on nortlicrn voj^-aj^es and exploration, part ilarly tliose into Hudson Bay. It was our intention to tlioroughly read up the subject during our voyage ; in a word, to get as good an idea of the northern coast as possible from books, and confir:n this idea from actual observation. This was the substance of llaed's plan of study. . . . By eleven o'clock we had grown a little sea-sick, — just tlie slightest feeling of nausea. Kit shuts liis book, rests his arm on tlie table, and leans his head on it. " You sick? " demands Kaed. " Oh, no ! not mucli ; just a little squeamish." Presently Wade lies down on his mattress, and I im- mediat(ily ask, — '' jNIuch sick. Wade ? " To which he promptly replies, — " Oh, no ! squeamish a little ; that's all." By and by the skipper looks down to inquire, " Sick here, anybody ? " To which we all answer at once, — " Oh, no ! only a bit squeamish." S'jiieamisk was the word for it till near night, when we seemed suddenly to rally from it, though the motion continued the same ; but the wind iiad veered to tho south, and almost wholly lulled. We slept pretty well that night ; but the next forenoon the nausea returned, and stuck by us all day. Every one who has been to sea knows how such a day passes. We had expected it, however, and bore it as lightly as possible. . . . On the third morning out we found it raining, with the wind north-east. The schooner was kept as near it as possible, making about three knots an hour. I m LEFT ON LABRADOR. 23 ^' jfe'^ The wind increased during the forenoon. By eleven o'clock there was a smart gale on. The rain drove fiercely. "We grew sick enough. " This is worse than the ' poison spring ' at Katah- din ! " groaned Kit. The skipper came down. " Is it a big gale ? " Ilaed managed to ask. " Just an ordinary north-easter." " Well, then, I never wish to meet an extraordinary one ! " gasped Wade. The captain mixed us some brandy and water from his own private supply, which we took (as a medicine). But it wouldn't stay down : nothing would stay down. Our stomachs refused to bear the weight of any thing Night came on : a wretched night it was for us. ''The Curlew " floundered on. The view on deck was doubt- less grand ; but we had neither the legs nor the dispo- sition to get up. . . . Some time about midnight, a dozen of our six-pound shots, which had been sewed up in a coarse sack and thrown under the table-shelf, by their continued motion worked a gap in the stitches ; and three or four of them rolled out, and began a series of races from one end of the cabin to the other, smashing reck- lessly into the rick of chairs and camp-stools stowed in the forward end. Yet I do not believe one of us would have got up to secure those shot, even if we had known they would go through the side : I am pretty certain I should not. They went back and forth at will, till the captain, hearing the noise, came down, and after a great amount of dodging and grabbing, whicli might have been amusing at any other time, succeeded iu capturing 24 LEFT ON LA15RAD0R. the truants and locking thcra up. Tho next clay it was no better : wind and rain continued. We were not quite so sick, but even less disposed to get up, tallc, or do any thing, save to lie flat on our backs. We heard the sailors laughing at. and abusing Pulnileaf", who was dreadfully sick, and couldn't cook for them. Yet wo felt not the least spark of sympathy for him : I do not think we should have interfered had they thrown him overboard. Wade called the poor wretch in, and ordered him, so sick he could scarcely stand, to make a bowl of gruel ; and, when he undertook to exjjlain how bad ho felt, we all reviled him, and bade him go about his busi- ness. " Nothin' like dis on de oyster schoonah," we heard him muttering as he staggered out. . . . The storm liad blown us off our course to the south-east considerably ; and the next morning we tacked to the northward, and continued due north all that day and the next. It may have been fancy ; but we all dated our recovery from this change of course. It had stopped raining, and the wind gradually went down. Now that the nausea had passed off we were hungry as wolves, and kept Palmleaf, who was now quite recov- ered, busy cooking all day long. . . . The weather con- tinued cloudy. The view from the damp deck was dull to the last degree. Capt. Mazard was in considerable doubt as to our latitude. Not a glimpse of the sun had he been able to catch for five days; and during tliis time we had been sailing sometimes very fast, then scarcely making way in the teeth of the strong north-easter. To the north and north-east the fog banks hung low on the <-* f % LEI'T ON LMUJADOR. 25 # sea. Sf) li:^Tit was tlio wind, tliat tlio sailn scarcely filled. Tlio schooner seemed merely to drift. . . . Toward ni^^lit we entered among the fog-banks. The whole fai'O of the sea steamed like a boiling kettle. The mist rose thin and gauze-like. We could scarcely see the length of the deck. It was blind work sailing in such obscurity, — possibly dangerous. " Have you any idea where we are, captain ? " Eaed asked. We stood peering ahead from the bow. " Somewhere off Newfoundland. On the Grand Bank, I think. Fog indicates that. Always foggy here this time o' year." " It is here that the gulf stream meets the cold cur- rents and ice from Baffin's Bay," said Kit. " The warm current meeting the cold one causes the fog : so they say." "I have seen the statement," remarked Racd, "that these great banks are all raised from the ocean-bottom by the debris brought along by the gulf stream and the current from Davis Straits." " But I have read that they are raised by the melting of icebergs," said Wade. " The iceberg has lots of sand and stones frozen into it: when it melts, this matter sinks ; and, in the course of ages, the ' banks ' here have been formed." " Perhaps both causes have had a hand in it," said Kit: " That looks most probable," remarked Capt. Mazard. "These scientific men are very apt to differ on such subjects. One will observe phenomena, and ascribe it wholly to one cause, when perhaps a half-dozen causes 2G LEFT ON LABRADOR. liavn hcon at work. Another man will ascribe it wholly to another of these causes. And thus they seem to con- tradict eacli other, when they are both, in part, rifrht. I've noticed that very frequently since I began to read the scientific books on oceanic matters. They draw their conclusions too hastily, and are too positive on doubtful subjects." I have often thought of this remark of Capt. INIazard since when reading some of tho " strong points " of our worthy scientists. " How deep is it here, for a guess ? " asked Wado. " Oh ! for a guess, a hundred fathoms ; about that." "Too deep for cod-fishing hfre? " Eaed inquired. "Rather deep. We'll try them, however, in the monuiig. >) Suddenly, as w^ '"e talking, a horn — a genuine old-fashioned dinner-horn — pealed out, seemingly not a hundred yards ahead. *' Port your helm there ! " shouted the skipper to Bonney, who was at rhe wheel. The old sea-dog, Trull, caught up a tin buf;itet ting near, and began drum- ming furiously; ulilo the si. ppor, diving down the com- panion-way, brought up a loaded musket, which he hastily discharged over his head. "Shout, halloo, scream ! " he sang out to us. "Make all the noise you can, to lot them know where we are ! " The schooner sheered oiF, minding l;er helm ; and, at the same moment, we saw the dim outline of a small vessel almost under the bows. " What ship is that ? " demanded Capt. Mazard. LEFT ON LAI^UADOir. .27 tho " Schooner ' Catfish ' of Gloucester/' replied a boyish voice. " Whore bound ? " " Homo." '• Can 3^ou give us tho latitude ? " " Can't do it, skippy. Haven't soon tho sun for a week. Not far from forty-five degrees, I reckon." "Are we in any danger of Cape llace ? " "Not a bit. We're more than a hundred miles east of it, I think." Tho little schu^aer, of not more tlian sixty tons, drifted slowly past. There were seven hands on dock ; all boys of sixteen and eighteen, save one. This is the training . which makes the Gloucester sailors so prized for our navy. . . . During the evening, we heard at a distance tho deep, grum whistle of the Inman steamer going down to Halifax, — whistling at intervals to warn the fisher- men. It continued foggy all night, but looked thinner' by nme next morning. Tho captain brought up an armful of out-riggers (a short spar three or four feet long to set in the side-rail, with a small pulley-block in the upper end to run a line through). "Now, boys," said he, setting the out-riggers, "we will try the cod. — Palmloaf ! Pahnleaf! Hero, you sunburnt son ! A big chunk of pork ! " " They won't bite it," said old Trull. "I've sometimes caught 'em with it," replied the - captain. "It's pork or nothing. We've no clams nor manhaden (a small fish of tho shad family) to luro them." 28 LEFT ON LABRADOR. it i ■I Tlie stout coJ-liooks, with their strong linen lines, wore reeved tlirougli the blocks, baited, and let down into the green water. For some time we fished in silence. No bites. We kept patiently fishing for fifteen minutes. It began to look as if old Trull was right. Presently Kit jerked hastily. " Got one ? " we all demanded, " Got something ; heavy too." " Haul him up ! " cried the skipper. Kit hauled. It made the block creak and the out- rigger bend. Yard after yard of the wet line was pulled in ; and by and by the head of a tremendous fellow parked the A.^ater, and came up, one, two, three feet, writhing and bobbing about. " Twenty pounds, if an ounce ! " shouted young Dono- van. " Heave away ! " cried the captain. " Now swing him over the rail ! " They were swinging him in, had almost got their liaiids on him, when the big fish gave a sudden squirm. The hook, which was but slightly caught in the side of its mouth, tore out. Down he went, — chud! Such a yell of despair as arose ! such mutual abuse as broke out all round! till, just -nt that moment. Wo do cried, "T have one!" when all attention was turned to him. Slowly he draws it up. We were all watching. But 'twas a smaller one. "About a seven-pounder," pronounces the cn,Ti*ain, safely landing him on deck, where he was unhooked, and left to wriggle and jump out his agonies. A minute later, Raed had out a " ten-pounder j " and, vM LEFT ON LAP.IJADOR. 29 having once begun to bite, tliey kept at it, until the deck grew lively with their frantic leaping. " Got all we want ! " cried the skipper after about an hour of this sort of thing. "There's a good two hundred weight of them. — Here, Palmleaf, pick 'em up, dress 'em, and put 'em in pickle : save what; we want for din- ner, — Now, you Donovan and Plobbs, bear a hand with those buckets. Rinse off the bulwarks, and wash up the deck." " Tliis is the kind of sport they have on a cod-fisher every day, T suppose," said Ilaed. "Yes; but it gets migh^^y stale when you have to follow it for a month," replied Donovan. " I k*iow what cod-fishing is.'' . . . Toward noon the sun began to show its broad disk, dimly outlined in the white mists. The captain ran for his sextant ; and an observation was caught, which, being worked up, gave our latitude at 45° 35'. We had j:robably made in the neighborhood of thirty miles during the night : so that the bo^js on " The Cat- ilsh" had given a very i3lircwd guess, to say the least. In the afternoon we had a fair breeze from the south-east. All sail was made, and v/t bowled along at a grand rate. Early the next morning we saw the first ice, — three or four low, irregular masses, showing white on the sea, and healing down toward us from the north-west with the polar current. Tl.is current, coming along the coast of Labrador, is always laden with ice at this season. To avoid it, we now bore away to the north-east, keeping for several days on a direct course for Iceland ; then gradually — '^debcri-bing the arc of a circle — came round LEFT ON LABRADOR. west into the latitude of Cape Farewell, tlie southern point of Greenlaiid. . . . Each day, as vve got farther north,, the sun set lat(!r, and rose earlier ; till, on the 28th of June, its bright red disk was scarcely twenty minutes below the northern horizon. . . . On the od of July we discerned Cape Farewell, — a mountainous headland, crowned, with s"in\: -.yt a distance of fifteen or twenty leagues. From this point. Cape liesolution, on the iioiih side of the entrance into Hudson Straits, bears west ten de- grees north, ind is distant not far from seven hun'li'ed miles. The wind serving, we bore away for it. . . . During June and July, Hudson Straits are full of ice driving out into the Atlantic. This ice forms in the winter in vast quantities in the myriads of inlets and bays on both sides of the straits. The spring breaks it up, and the higli tides beat it in pieces. It is rare that a vessel can enter the straits during June for the outconiing ice; but by July it has become suf- ficiently broken up and dispersed to allow of an en- trance by keeping close up to the northern side, which has always been found to be freest from ice in July and August ; while, on coming out in September, it is best to hug the southern main (land) as closely as possible. On our voyage up we had taken great pains to read and compare every account we could find regarding both the ice and the general character of the straits. Our plai- was to make Cape Kesolution, wait for a fair wind, and slip into the straits early in the day, so as to get as far up as possible f>re night came on. A pe '^on who has LEFT ON LABRADOR. 81 never been there can form no idea of the tremendous force with which the tide sets into tlie straits, the velo- city of the currents, and the amazing smash they make among the ice. ... a ln' 'I W CHAPTER III. Capo Resolution. — The Entrance into Hudson's Straits. — The Sun In the North-cast. — The Resolution Cliffs. — Sweating among Icebergs. — A Slunver and a Fog. — An Anxious Niglit. — A Strange Rumbling. — Singular Noises and Exployions. — Running into an Iceberg. — In Tow. — A Big Hailstone drops on Deck. — Bonrding an Iceberg. — Solution of the Explosions. — A Lucky Escape. "L AND and ice, land and ice, ho ! " sang out our old sea-dog from his lookout in the bow. 'Twas the morning of the Ttli of July. We had ex- pected to make Cape Resolution tJie evening before. Kit and I had been on deck till one o'clock, watching in the gleaming twilight. Never shall. I forget those twilights. The sun was not out of sight more than three hours and a half, and the whole northern semi- circle glowed continuously. It shone on the sails ; it shone on the sea. The great glassy faces of the swells cast it back in phosphorescent llaslies. Tlie patches of ice showed white as challv. The ocean took a pale French gray tint. Overhead the clouds drifted in gliostly troops, and far up in the sky an unnatural sort of ghire eclipsed the sparkle of stars. Properly speaking, there was no night. One could read easily at one o'clock. Twilight and dawn joined hands. The sun rose far up in the north-east. Queer nights these ! Until we got S2 i LEFT ON LABRADOR. 33 I used to it, or ratlior until fatigue coiKjnored us, wo luul no little difliculty in goiiig to sleep. AVe were not ac- customed to naps in the daytime. As a sort of com- promise, I recollect that we used to spread an old sail over the skylight, and hang up blankets over the huU's- eyes in the stern, to keep out this everlasting c^ay- lidit. We needed night. Born far down toward the equinoxes, we sighed for our intervals of darkness and shadows. But we got used to it after a fortnight of gaping. One gets used to any. thing, every thing. " Use is second nature," says an old proverb. It is more than that : it is iVrt^itre herself. Land and ice, ho ! " Tumble out ! " shouted Raed. It was half-past three. We went on deck. The sun was shining brightly. Scarcely any wind ; sea like glass in the sunlight ; ice in small patches all about. "Where's your land? " asked Wade. "Off there," replied young Hobbs, pointing to the north-west. Ah, yes! there it was, — a line of dark gray cliffs, low in the water. Between us and them a dozen white icebergs glittered in the sun. " Is that the cape, captain ? " queried Kit. " Must be," was the reply. " Same latitude. Can't be any thing else. Answers to the chart exactly." " Oh ! that's Cape Ecjolution fast enough," said Raed. " Those cliffs correspond with the descriptions, I should say." " How far off ?" asked Wade. " Well, seven or eight leagues," replied the captain. 3 n H I'KFT ON LABRADOR. . don't -0 tho,„,.. ,,„ ^yl^ '" "'"' ''"-Chun; "but I ^ Yc's, tJiere 'tis ' " I,-, i land. Ko cliffs." "'"''• "'^'"■•' do»-n; k^v "Why are thoy called ' Biitfon T 1 > , "Ko," said Eaed ^^Tl,^ Button, who sailed throu .1 f ""™ "''""'' ^°^ ^apt. ago. He was one ofll ■' '"°''' "'=" " o^'tury l=a.d to find the ,.,„ ° ' a breeze sprang up, and the LEFT ON LABI^ADOR. 35 sails fiUod. The schooner was headed W. N. W. to run under the cape ; Bonney being set to watch sharp for the floating ice. " CofTee, sar ! " cried Palmleaf from the companion- way. We went down to breakfast and talk over matters with the captain. It was decided to work ip under tlte cape, and so, hugging the land on the north side as closely as possible, get into the strait as far as we could that day. We all felt anxious ; for though the sea was now smooth, sky clear, and the wind fair, yet wo knew that it was rather the exception than the average. The idea of being caught here among these cliffs and icebergs in a three-days' fog or a north-east gale, with the whole fury of the Atlantic at our backs, was any thing but encouraging. The advice of the elder navigators, "to seize a favorable day and get as far up the straits as possible," kept recurring to our minds. The words had an ominous sound. They were the utterances of many a sad experience. " There never could be a better day nor a fairer wind," remarked the captain. " Now's our chance ; I'm convinced of it," said Kit. The mainsail, which had been taken in the previous evening, and the topsail, were both set ; and, the breeze freshening, "The Curlew" rapidly gathered way. Considerable care had to be used, however, to avoid the broad cakes of i(!e which were floating out all around us. Small bits, and pieces as large as a hogshead, we paid no attention to ; let the cut-water knock them aside. But there were plenty of large, angular, ugly-looking masses, I 3G LEFT ON LABRADOR. wliicli, if struck, would have endangcrod the schooner's side. These were sheered off from : so that our course was made up of a series of curves and windings in and out. It seemed odd to see so much ice, and feel the deadly chill of the water, with so hot a sun on deck tliat the pitch started on the deal planks. In our com- l)ani()n-way the thermometer rose to eiglit3^-scven d(>grot'S, with icebergs glittering at every point of the compass. By eight o clock, a.m., we were abreast the cliffs of Resolution Island, ab a distance of a couple of miles. With our glasses we examined them attentively. Iloary, gra}^, and bare, they were, as when first split out of the earth's flinty crust, and thrust above the waves. Tlie sun poured a flood of warm light over them ; but no green thing could be discerned. Either there was no soil, or else the bleak frost-winds effectually checked the outcrop of life. To the south the Button Islands showed like brown patches on the shimmering waves. The width of the btraits at this point is given on the chart at twelve leagues, — thirty-six miles. We could see the land on either side. By eleven, a.m., we were twenty miles inside the outer cape. The cliffs continued on the north side, and the schooner was headed up within a mile of them. There were no signs of reefs or sunken ledges, however; and, on heaving the lead, a hundfed fathoms of line were run out without touching bottom. The cliffs seem thus to form the side of an immense chasm partially filled by the ocean. Racd estimated their height above the sea to be near foifr hundred feet. At the distance of a i[|! itIL LEFT ON LABRADOU. 37 "liooiior's "■ course '^ in and it'el tlie ock tJiat ur com- ^y -seven of the 'liffs of f miles. Hoary, of tlio . The green «oil, or mtcrop d like width art at ie the outer i the Hiere and, were thus ii'Ied the of a mile tlioy appeared to tower and almost impend over us. Toward noon the wind flawed for half an hour, then dropped altogether. The current, whicli was setting out to sea, began to drag us back with it slowly. There wasn't a breath of air stirring. Blazes ! how the sun poured down ! Guard got round in the thin shadow of the mainsail, and actually lolled among icebergs. There we were stuck. That is one of the disadvantages of a sailing-vessel : you have to depend on the wind, — the most capricious thing in the universe. I suppose the air-current had veered about from north-east to north, so that the lofty cliffs intercepted them com- pletely. Dinner was eaten. One o'clock, — two o'clock. We were glad to take refuge with Guard in the shade of the sails. All around us was a stillness which passes words, broken loudly by our steps on the hot deck, and the occasional graze of ice-cakes against the sides. AVe felt uneasy enough. This calm was ominous. ' " There's mischief brewing ! " muttered Kit ; " and here we are in the very jaws of the straits ! " Since the wind dropped, the ice had seemed to thicken ahead. To the southward, fiirtlior out from the shore, where tlie outward current was stronger, we could see it driving along in a glittering procession of white bergs. The wisdom of keeping on the north side of the strait was apparent from this ; though it seemed likely to cost us dear in the consequent loss of the wind. On many of the larger cakes we could see dark objects, which the glass disclosed to be seal:', sunning. 38 ^^I^T ON LAKRADOR. -»d at la,,,;„g i, ,,ij,, ,""'^J.^ ''« »J I tried our *» foresail and tl,e top.aH '^ t ^ ' ''"'' «"' ''°>''> ">»* got ready to "fct go" 'e '''V." "■"^ "<" '''"■l^d, h^-y poal. of thunder b „an t ''"' 5"^''- 1"-% "''ff^- Tl,e darkeloudnv, f "'""<' '«''''">J tI>o f 'oan„, driving .CIu ^T '^Tf "'\''" ^ --'^ ''- -•''S- lirig,,t flashes gl a,„t ' 'Tn'' °™'- *''« ^'-^Y he--«vy, holiow i,eals. The ?' , , ', ^"^^"'""^ '^'"^y by ,''""l't, to tl,o tine of tl^ re" ?'' '"^^^^ "J^^J vastly, „« ■-"ke over the >^m ^Z^^''^"'- '^'"» '--J-'ft the north-west. QnL " '''°^™'' Passed maiuh- to ";« ^'-...ing pelLts~ ;T'"^ *°1'«. with aC of coo, air followed the gu ' Tb" ' '" '''"•''■ ^« e^dy ^^'W'-.n. «""*■ -^''0 Jib pufted out on a " Up with the foresill I " ., Itwi«nf„ 'o"">ail! was the order , W'^* at once set: and" Ti, /> "'«'^r- wake of the shower. The c Lud "'V "''"'*"^ «" '" «'o d'agonally to the south-ve r w" T" *'"--'->» I LEFT ON LABRADOR. 39 a scud on tlic ' Uauks ' but 'ut it was alius foUered ])y a White-gray, cold-loolving clouds began to drift along the sun from the seaward. A sudden change in the air was felt. Cool, damp gusts swept down from the crags. The thermometer was falling rapidly. It had stood at ninety-four degrees just previous to the shower. Kit now reported it at seventy-three degrees ; and, in less than an hour, it had fallen twenty degrees more. This sudden change was probably due to the veering of the wind !roin east round to north. The cold blasts from " Greenland's icy mountains " speedily dissipated our miniature summer. There was a general rush for great-coats and thick jack- ets. Thin lines of vapor streamed up from the water as the cold gusts swept across it. The hot sun-beams fall- ing on the sea had doubtless raised the temperature con- siderably, despite the ice ; and this sudden change in the air could but raise a great mist. Yet I doubt whether Nature's wonderful and legitimate processes were ever regarded with greater disfavor and a})prehension. "The barometer's falling a good deal too," remarked the captain, coming hastily up the com]^anion-stairs. " Either a rain-storm, or a smart gale from " . north'ard : both, perhaps. We're in a tight place." " What's to be done ? " Raed asked. "Hadn't we better try to beat out of the straits into the open sea again, clear of the land and ice ? " said Kit. " Can't do it. It would take all night to do that, if there were no ice to hinder. The gale will come before morning, if it comes at all; and the entrance of the 40 LEFT ON LAI'.RADOK. •^!!l!ill iiiiji straits would bo the worst posriiMe place to woallier it." " Ijiit, capialii, what can we do?" Wade demanded, looking a little pale. "Well, not much. We must keep on, — get as far up the straits as we can ; and then trust to good luck to s.scape being smashed or jammed. The farther we get up tl'.e channel, the less we shall feel the violence of a gale from the seaward. It was a rather gloomy prosjiect. The sky was thick- ening, and darkened rapidly. The mist kcp^ '■reaming up from the water. What wind there w; ntinued fitfull3\ AVe kept the foresail and the jib set, and jogged on, doubling amid the ice. JNIeanwhile the fog grew so dense, that every thing was very dim at fifty y.uds. But for the mist, and the danger of striking against large fragments of ice, we should have set the mainsail and the topsail to make the most of our wind ere it blew too hard ; for it was plainly rising. Now and then a gust would sigh past the sheets. Supper was eaten in squads of two and three. The thermometer fell constantly. It grew so chilly, that we were glad to slip down into the galley occasionally to warm our fingers at Pali.ileaf's stove. Guard had already taken up his quarters there. " Dis am berry suddin change," the darky would re- mark gravely to each of us as we successi\-ely made our appearance. "Berry suddin. The geromotum fallin' fast. Srink 'im all up, ser cold. Now, dis forenoon it am quite conif 'ble ; warm 'nuf ter take a liap in the sun : but now — 00-00-000 ! awful cold ! " And Pahnleaf would move his sable cheek up close to the hot stove-pipe, LKFT ON LABUADOR. 41 Guard all the time regarding liim soLi-rly from the other side. bidding the negro keep coffee hot and re;uly for us, we would hurry on deck again, and resume our places in the bow ; for it re(iuired vigilant eyes to look out for all ll,e ugly ice-cakes among which the schooner was driv- ing. The weather grew thicker, and the sky davker. V>y hlw-l>ix^t ten, P.M., although the sun must have been still higli above the horizon, it was dark as one often sees it on a stormy niglit when there is a moon in llio heavens. • In fact, it grew too dark to nuike out the ice- putches; for, despite our watchfulness, at about live minutes to eleven we struck against a large mass with a sliock which made things rattle down stairs. Guard barked, and Taludeaf showed a very scared face in the companion-way. " Where are your eyes there, forward ? " shouted the captain. " Couldn t you see that ,? " Just then we grazed pretty heavily against another cake. . ,^ " It is really getting too dark for us, captain, said Raed. « Take in the foresail, then." The sail was at once furled. The jib was kept on, however, to hold us steady. We were now merely breasting the current, and driving on a little with the gusts. Soon it began to rain, — rain and snow together. The dreariness and uncertainty of our situation can hardly be imagined. We did not even know how near we were to the foot of the cliils, and could merely keep the schooner headed as she had been during the after- noon. LEFT ON LABRADOR. "Tlie main thing for us now is to keep lier as nearly stationary as we can," said the captain. " Between wind and water, I hope not to move half a knot all night." It was now nearly twelve. "We may as well go helow," said Kit. "INo use standing here in the rain when we can do no good." We had been up nearly twenty-one hours sir.ce our last nap. Sleep will have its tribute even in the face of danger. Hastily flinging off our wet coats, we lay down. The wind and rain wailed among the rigging above. Chuck-chock, cltock-chuck, went the waves under the stern ; while every fe v minutes a heavy jar- ring bump, followed by a long raspy grind along the side, told of the icy processions floating past. Those were our lullabies *^hat night. Truly it required a sharp summoning of our fortitude not to feel a little home- sick. But we went to sleep ; at least I did, and slept a number of hours. Voices roused me. The captain was standing beside our mattresses. "Wake up!" he was siying-. "Get up, and come on deck!" At the same moment I heard, indistinctly, a strange, rumbling sound. " What is it ? what's the matter ? " cried Kit, start- ing up. " Oh ! don't be scared ; we've been hearing it for some time," replied the captain. "Put on your rubber coats." We did so, and followed him up the stairway. The rain and snow still came fast and thick. The deck was i^ LEFT ON LADRADOR. 43 soppy. IIol)l)s wan at the wlieel. Donovan and AYey- mouth were forward I could just nialce tliem out, standing wrapped up i.gainst the bulwarks. " Now liark !" saici the captain. We all listened. A heavy noise, like that of some huge flouring-mill in full operation, could be plainly heard above the swash of the waves and the drive and patter of the storm. '•' Thunder ? — no, it isn't thunder," muttered Eaed. "Breakers!" exclaiiDed Kit. "It's the sea on the rocks, — those cliffs, — isn't it ? " " Trull," said the captain to that old worth}'-, who was just poking his head up out of tl^e forecastle, — " Trull, is that noise the surf?" The veteran turn an experienced ear aport, listejied a moment, and then replied, — "No, sir," promptly. " Well, what in tlie world is it, then ?" Tlie old salt listened again attentively. The steady rumble continued without intermission. " Don't know, sir," replied Trull, shaking his head. " Never heard any thing like it." " Are you sure it's not ^ leakers ? " demanded Kit. " I'm afraid we're drifting' on ^^ o rocks. It's dead ahead too ! " But neither the cap ain nor Trull nor Donovan could believe it was the surf. " We began to hear it over an hour ago," remarked the captain. " It sounded low then ; we could just hear it: but it grows louder. It's either coming towards us, or else we are going towards it. I presume the storm drives us with it considerably." i:i i 44 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ill "I tell^ou tliat it is some clangorous roof! '' oxclaimocl Kit; "some hole or cavern wliicli the water is playing through." " It may be," muttered the captain. " Starboard the helm, llobbs ! " At this instant a heavy, near explosion boomed out, followed momentarily by another and another. ''Good heavens!" exclaimed Raed. " Cannon ! '" shouted Wade : " it's a vessel in distress ! " "Impossible!" cried the ca[)tain. "No ship would fire cannon liere, even if wrecked. There wouldn't be one chance in ten thousand of its being heard by anoth- er vessel." JBooDi! . - " Hark ! did you not hear that splashing noise that followed the explosion ? " demanded Kit. We had all heard it ; for, by this time, the sailors wdio were below had come on dock. The heavy rumbling noise began afresh, anut only listen to that fearful rumble and roar!" said Kaed. " It seems to come from deep down in the berg. Wbatisit?" " INIust be the sea rushing through some cnu'k, or pos- sibly the rain-water and the water from the melted ice on top streaming down through some hole into the sea," said the captain. " But those explosions ! — how would you account for those ? " asked Wade. "Well, I can't pretend to explain that. I have an idea, however, that they resulted from the splitting otf of large fragments of ice." On the whole, it was deemed most prudent to let the schooner lay where she was, — till daylight at least. l*lanks were got up from below, and thrust down between the side find the ice to keep hev from chaling against the sharp angles. ]>y this time it was near six o'clock, morning, and had begun to grow tolerably light. The rain still con- tinued, however, as did also the bellowings inside the iceberg. Old Trull and Weymouth were set to watch the ice, and the rest of us went down ti» breakfast. Tlie schooner lay so still, that it seemed like being on shore again. We had got as far as our second cup of coifee, 48 LEFT ON LAI5RAD0R. : I ':! I rocolK'ct, wlion wo were stiirtloJ by another of tlie same heavy explosions we liad lieard a few hours previ- ous. It was followed instantly' by a second. Then we heard old Trull sing out, — " Avast from under ! " And, a moment later, there was a tremendous crash on deck, accompanied by a hollow, rattling sound. Drop- ping our knives and forks, we sprang up the companion- way. "What was that, Trull?" demanded Capt. Mazard. " A chunk of ice, sir, as big as my old sea-chest ! " " How {;ame that abt)ard ? " "Ilained down, sir. Went up frura the top o' the barg, sir, at that thunder-clap, and came plumb down on deck." Tlie deck-planks wore shattered and split where it had struck, and pieces of ice the size of a quart measure lay all about. " Did you see it fly up from the top of the berg, Wey- mouth ? ' Raed asked. " Yes, sir. It didn't go up till the second pop. I was looking then. It went up like as if it had been shot from a gun ; went up thirty or forty feet, then turned in the air, and came down on us. Thought 'twould sink us, sir, sure. There were streams of water in the air at the same time ; and water by the hogshead came sloshing over the side of tne ice." " I don't understand that at all," said the captain. "We nnist investigate it," said Kaod, " i*' we can. But let's make sure of our breakfast first. I suppose there will be no great danger in letting down the boat A I' LEFT ON LABRADOR. 49 as sofin as it gots fairly liglit, ^vill tbore, captain? This icel)erg seoms to be a ralher mysterious ehn]). I proposo tliat we circumnavigate it in the boat. Terhaps we may find a chance to climb on to it." It was already light ; and, by the time breakfast was over, the rain had subsided to a drizzly mist: but the fog was still too thick to see far in any direction. Tlio sea contimied comparatively calm. A few minutes after seven, the boat was lowered. Eaed iind the rest of us boys, with the captain and Weymouth, got in, and pulled round to the windward of the berg. It was a vast, ma- jestic mass, rising from forty to fifty feet above the water, and covering three or four acres. On tlu; south, south-east, and east sides it rose almost perpendicularly from the sea. No chance to scale it here ; and, even if there had been, the water was much too rtmgh to the •windward to bring the boat up to it. We continued around it, however, and, near the north-west corner, espied a large crevice leading up toward the top, and filled with broken ice. "Might clamber up there," suggested the captain. It looked a little pokerish. " Let's try it," said Kit. The boat was brought up within a yard or so of Mie ice. Watching liS chance, Capt. Hazard leaped into th(! crack. "Jump, and 1*11 catch you if you miss," said he. Eaed jumped, -muX got on all right; but Kit slipped. The captain caught him by the arm, and pulletain. J)Ut we liad no diflieulty in elind>ing up. Tlie top of the berg was irregular and rough, witli pinnacles and " knolls," between which were many deep puddles of water, — fresh water: we drank from one. l^or some time we saw nothing which tended to explaiji the explosions ; though the dull, roaring noise still con- tinued, seeming directly under our feet : but on crossing over to ^ho south-west side, beneath which the schooner lay, Wade discovered a large, jagged hole something like a well. It was five or six feet across, and situated twenty or twenty-five yards from tlie side of the berg. Standing around this "well," the rumbling noises Avere more distiii't than we hail yet heard them, and were accompanied by a great plashing, and also by a hissing sound, as of escaping air or steam ; and, on peering cau- tiously down into the hole, we could discern the water in motion. The iceberg heaved slightly with the swell : the gurgling and hissing appeared to follow the heaving motion. " I think there must be great ca;'ities down in the ice, which serve as chambers for compressed air," remarked Eaed; "and somehow the heaving of the berg acts as an air-pump, — something like an hydraulic ram, you know." As none of us could suggest any better explanation, WP accepted this theory, though it was not very clear. We were going back toward the crevice, when a loud gurgling roar, followed by a report like the discharge of a twenty-four-pounder, made the berg tremble; and, turning, we saw the water streaming from the well. LEFT OX LAI'.RADOR. 51 Another gurgle and another report succeeded, almost in the same instant. Jets of water, and bits of ice, were spouted high into the air,'and came down splashing and glancing about. We made oft' as expeditiously as wo could. Fortunate!}' none of the pieces of ice struck us; though Wade and Raed, who were a little behind, were well bespatterd. We hurried down to the boat, greatly to the relief of Weymouth, who expected we had " got blown up." [Kaed begs me to add that he hopes the reader will lie able to suggest a better explanation of this singular phe- nomenon than the one that has occurred to him.] JumpiJig to the boat, we pull(;d round to "The Cur- lew." The sailors were watching for us, with a touch of anxiety on their rough, honest faces. • " Throw us a line !" shouted Capt. Mazard ; " and bear a hand at those pike-poles to shove her off". We'll get clear of this iceberg as quick at.' Ave can. Something the matter with its insides : liable to bust, I'm afraid." Catching the line, we bent to the oars, and, with the help of the men with the poles, tugged the schooner off, and gradually towed her to a distance of three or four hundred yards from the berg. Tlie boat was tlien taken in, sail made, and we were again humj^juifj ou up the straits. CHAPTER IV. The Fog lifts. — A Whalo in Sij?ht. — Crug,£fy Black Mountains capped wi h 8iio\v. — A Novel Carri;iL;e for />e Big llille. — Mounting tlie IIo\vit/,er. — A Doubtful Shot. — Tlie Lower Savage Isk's. — A Deep Inlet.— •■ Mazanl's Bay," — A Desolate Island —Au Ice-Jam.— A Strange Bloodied F^i>!;lit. — Solution of the Mystery. — Going Ashore. — IJairen Ltdf^os. — Bids of Moss. — A Bald Teak. — An Alarm. — Tlie Schooner in Jeopardy. — The Crash and Tlmnder of the Ice.— Tremendous Tides. Till'] rain had now pretty mucli ceased. Some sud- den change took place in the air's density; for tlie fog, wliicli had all along lain flat on the sea, now rap- idly rose up like a curtain, twenty, thirty, fifty feet, leav- ing all clear helow. We looked around us. The dark water was hesprinkled with white patches, among which the seals were leaping and frisking ahout. Half a mile to the left we espied a lazy water-jet pla3'ing up at inter- vals. " There she blows ! " laughed Bonney. " Seems like old times, I declare !" '■ What's that, sir ? " asked Capt. Hazard, who had been below for the last ten minutes. " A sperm-whale on the j)ort quarter, sir ! " Two or three miles ahead, another large iceberg was driving grandly down. AVe coidd also see our late con- sort a mile astern, — see and hear it too. Higher and 62 ■ t LEFT ON LABRADOR. 53 liighcr rose tlie fog. The sky briglitonod tlirougli tran- sient rifts in the clouds. Gliid onougli wore \vc t(i see it clearing up. , Eitlier the land had fallen off to the north ; or else, in our fear of running on the cliifs, we had declined a good deal from our course. The northern shore was now three or four leagues distant. Fog and darlcnt^ss hung over it. Tlie bases of the mountains were black ; but their tops glistened with snow, the snow-line showing distinct two or throe hundred feet above the shore. The sails were trimmed, and the helm put round to bear up nearer. " What a country ! " exclaimed Eaed, sweeping it with his glass. " Is it possible that people live there ? AVhat can be the inducements ? " " Seals, probably," said Kit, — " seals and whales. That's the Esquimaux bill of fare, I've heard, varied with an occasional white beaT or a sea-horse." *'A true 'Husky' (Esquimau) won't cat a mouthful of cooked victuals," said Capt. Hazard ; " takes every J) thing raw " Should think so much raw meat would make them lierce and savage," remarked Wade : " makes dogs sav- age to give them raw meat." " But the Esquimaux are a rather good-natured set, I've heard," replied Kit. "Not always," said the captain. '"The whalers have trouble with them very often ; though these whalenu'n are doubtless any thing but angels," he added. " In dealing with them, it is well to have a good show of muskets, or a big gun or two showing its muzzle : makes f « ll. " . ' MKHt g » gl !J«Ba 54 LKFT OX LAHRADOR. 'cm inoro civil. Cases liave Leon where they've hoarded a fcantily-iiianned vcshcI ; to get tlie jilui'.dcr, you see. Jriiui^ry for any tiling of the axe or iron kind." " It would not ho a had plan to get up our howitzer, and rig a carriage for it," said Wade. " Let's do it." " And Wash's cannon-rlfli'," said Kit. " Wc ought to get that up. I think it's ahout time to test that rather remarkahle arm." '' The [)roltlem with me is how to mount it," said I. "I was thinking of that the other day," remarked the captain. " I've got a hig chest helow, — an old thing I don't use now : we niiglit make the gun fast to the top of it ; then put some trucks on the hottoni just high enough to point it out over the huhvarks. Here, Ilohbs : come l>elo\v, and help me fetch it on deck." Wliile they were getting uj) the chest, Itaed and I brought up the cannon-rifle. It was about as much as we could get up the stairs with easily. It was, as the reader will probably remember, set in a light framework of wrcught-iron, adjusted to a swivel, and arranged with a screw for raising or lowering the breecli at will. The bed-pieces of the i'ramework had been pierced for screws. It was, therefore, but a lew minutes' work to bore holes in the top of the chest and drive the screws. Mean- while the captain, who enjoyed the scheme as well as any of us, split open a couple of old tackle-blocks, and, get- ting out the trucks, proceeded to set them on the ends of two stout axles cut from an old ice-pole. These axles were then nailed fast to the bottom of the chest. The gun-carriage was then comphite, and could be rolled any- where on deck with ease. LEFT ON LABRADOR. 05 "DooidtMlly neat!" exclaiiiUMi Oiipt. Miuar.l, survey- ing it with a gi-iii of st'lf-appi-oluitioii. '' What say to that, Tmll?'' cried Haed. The old luau-of-war's-maii had been watching tho progress of tho invention witli an occasional tug at his waistbanil. " Yes ; how's that in your eye ? " exclaimed the cap- tain. '•' You're a military character. Give us an opin- ion on that." '• Wal, sur," coclviug his eye at it, "I*m free to confass I naver saw any thing like it j " and that was all wo couhl get out of him. " Ih'ing some ammunition, and let's give it a trial, said Kit. 1 brought up the powder-flask, caps, and a couple of LuUets. The bullets we had run for it were of lead, about an inch in diameter, and weighed not far from six ounces apiece. The breech was depressed. Kaed poured in half a gill of the fine powder by measurement; a wad of paper was rammed dowai ; then a bullet was driven home. There only remained to prime and cap it. " Fire at one of these seals," suggested Wade, point- ing to where a group of three or four lay basking on an ice-cake at a distance of eight or ten hundred yards. " Who'll take the first shot ? " said Kit. Nobody seemed inclined to seize the lionor. " Come, now, that seal's getting impatient ! " cried tho captain. iStill no one volunteered to shoot oft" the big rifle. " I think Wash had better fire the first shot," re- marked Eaed. " The honor clearly belongs to him.'' ^i 5G LEFT 0^^ LABKADORf Seeing tliny were a little disposed to rally me on it, I stepped up and cocked it. At that everybody hastily stood back. 1 took as good aim as the motion of the schooner would permit ; though I think I should have done better had not Palmleaf just at that moment sang out, " Dinner, sar ! " from behind. I pulled the trigger, liowever. There was a stunning crack ; and so smart a recoil, that I was pushed half round sidewise with amazing spitefulness. The old chest rolled back, whirled round, and u[)set against the bulwarks on the other side. The reader can imagine what a rattle and racket it made. " Golly ! " exclaimed Palmleaf. " Am crazy ! " " Did it hit the seal ?-" recovering my equilibrium. Wade was the only one who had watched the seid. " I saw him flop olf into the water," said he. " Then of course it hit him," said I. Nobody disputed it ; though 1 detected an oc^ious wink betweeji tlie captain and Kit. "Tlu^ prostrate gun was got up on its legs again ; old Trull remarking that we had better trig it behind before we iired, in future : that duty attended to, he thought it might work very well. We then went to dinner. How to mount the howitzer was the next question. " We need a regular four-wheeled gun-carriage for that," said llaed. "I think we can make one out of those planks," re- marked Kit. " The worst trouble will conuj with the wheels," said Wade. ■I i LEFT ON LABRADOR. 57 4^ V But Capt. Miizard tliought lie could saw tliom out of sections of fifteen-inch plank with the wood-saw. " I'll undertake tliat for my part," lie added, and, as soon as dinner was over, went about it. " Xow we'll get old man Trull to help us on the body" said Kit. The planks, with axe, adze, auger, and hammer, were carried on deck. Our old man-of-war's-raan readily lent a hand ; and with his advice, particukirly in regard to the cheeks for the trunnions, we succeeded during the afternoon in getting up a rough . imitation of the old- f ishioned gun-carriage in use on our wooden war-ves- sels. The captain made the wheels and axles. The body was then spiked to them, and the howitzer lifted up and set on the carriage. By way of testing it, we then charged the piece with half a pint of powder, and fired it. The sliarp, brassy report was reverberated from the dark mountains on the starboard side in a wonderfully distinct echo. Hundreds of seals dropped off the ice-cakes into the sea all about, — a fact I ob^ served with some mortification. As the guns would have to remain on deck, exposed to fog and rain, we stopped the muzzles with plugs, and covered them with two of our rubber blankets. They were then lashed fast, and left for time of need. During the day, we had gradually come up with what we at first bad taken for a cape or a promontory from the mainland, but which, by five o'clock, p.m., was dis- covered to be a group of mountainous islands, the same known on the chart as the " Lower Savage Isles." The course was changed five points, to pass them to the 'L\ 1^ 53 LEFT ON LABRADOR. soutliward. By seven o'clock we were off abreast ore of tl)o largest of tlioin. It was our intention to stand on this course during the uight. The day had at no time, however, been exactly fair. T'oggy clouds had hung about the sun; and now a mist began to rise from the water, much as it had done the previous even- ing. " If I thought there might be any tolerable safe an- chorage among those islands," muttered the captain, with his glass to his eye, " I should rather beat in there than take the risk of running on to another iceberg in the fog." This sentiment was unanimous. "There seems to be a clear channel between this near- est island and the next," remarked Raed, who had been looking attentively for some moments. " We could but bear up there, and see what it looks like." The hehn was set a-port, and the sails swung round to take the wind, which, for the last hour, had been shift- ing to the south-east. In half an hour we were up in the mouth of the channel. It was a rather narrow opening, not more than thirty-five or forty rods in width, with considerable ice floating about. We were in some doubt as to its safety. The schooner was hove to, and the lead thrown. " Forty-seven fathom ! " " All right ! Bring her round ! " The wind was light, or we should hardly have made into an unknown passage with so much sail on : as it was, we did but drift lazily in. On each side, the islands presented black, bare, flinty crags, distant scarcely a I *> i\ / , I ^P . I / i LEFT ON LABRADOR. 59 pistol-shot from tlie deck. A quarter of a mile in, we souinlvul a second time, and had forty-three fathoms. "licver saw a deeper gut for its width!" cxdaimed Capt. Hazard. "Wiiat a chasm there wouhl bo liero were the sea out of it ! " Half a mile farther up, a third and smaller island lay at the head of the channel, which was thus divided by it into two narrow arms, — one leading out to the north- east, the other to the north-west. This latter arm was clear '"f ice, showing a dark line of water crooking off among numerous small islets ; but the arm opening up to the north-east was jammed with ice. "The Curlew" went in leisurely to three hundred yards of the foot of the island, where we found thirty-three fathoms, and hove to within a hundred yards of the ledges of the island on the cast side. The anchor was now let go, and the sails furled. • , "We're snug enough here from any thing from the north-east or north," remarked Capt. Hazard ; " and even a sou'-vvester would hardly affect us much a mile up this narrow inlet." It seemed a tolerably secure berth. The schooner lay as still as if at her wl arf at far-distant Portland. There was no perceptible swell in the channel. Despite the vast mass of ice "packed" into the arm above us, it was not disagreeably chilly. The thermometer stood afc fifty-nine degrees in our cabin. Indeed, were it not for the great bodies of ice, these extreme northern sum- nier:?, where the sun hardly sets for months, would got iusulferably hot, — too hot to be endured by man. The mist steamed silently up, up. Gradually the 60 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ■II I islands, tlie crags, and even oLjects at the scliooner's length, grew indistinct, and dimmed out entirely by half- past ten. We heard the " honk, honk" of numerous wild-geese from the islands; and, high overhead, the melancholy screams of " boatswains." Otherwise all was quiet. The watch was arranged amoag the sailors, and we went to bed. For the last i^ixty hours we had had not over seven hourj of sleep. Now was a good time to make up. Profound breathing soon resounded along the whole line of mattresses. We had been asleep two or three hours, when a shake aroused me. A strange, reddish glare filled the cabin. Donovan was standing at my head. " What's up ? " I asked. " Fire ? It isn't fire, is it ? " jumping up. "No, it's not fire," replied Donovan. "Oh! morning, then," I said, greatly relieved. " No ; can't be. It's only one o'clock." " Then what is it, for pity sake ? " I demanded in fresh wonder. "Don't know, sir. Thought I'd just speak to you. Perhaps you'll know what it is. Won't you go up. It's a queer sight on deck." " Of course I will. Go ahead. No matter about waking the others just yet, though." The cold mist struck in my face on emerging from the companion-way. It was still very foggy and damp. Such a scene ! The sky was of a deep rose-color. The thick fog seemed like, a sea of magenta. The deck, the bulwarks, the masts, and even Donovan standing beside me, looked as if baptized in blood. It was as light as. j«t ,1 '> *» . LKIT ON LABKADOR. Gl even lighter than, when wo liad gone behiw. The cliffs on tlie island, drear and black by daylight, showed like mountains of red beef through the crimson fog. " It was my watch," said Donovan. " I was all alono here. Thought I would just speak to you. Come ou quite sudden. I didn't know just what to make of it." " No wonder j'ou didn't." " I knew it couldn't be morning," he went on. " There must be a great fire somewhere round : don't you think so, sir ? " I was trying to think. Queer sensations came over me. I looked at my watch. It was four minutes past one. Donovan was right : it couldn't be morning. A sudden thought struck me. " It's the northern lights, Donovan ! " I exclaimed. " So red as this ? " " Yes : it's the fog." " Do you really think so ? " with a relieved breath. " There's no doubt of it." "But it makes a funny noise." "Noise?" "Yes: I heard it several times before I called you. Hark ! There ! " A soft rushing sound, which was neither the wind (for there was none), nor the ,*aves, nor the touch of ice, could be heard at brief intervals. It seemed far aloft. I am at a loss how to describe it best. It was not unlike the faint rustle of silk, and still more like the flapping of a large flag in a moderate gale of wind. Occasionally there would be a soft snap, which was nmcli like the snapping of a flag. I take the more pains to 02 LKI T ON LABRADOR. stato tills fat^t explicitly, because T am aware that tlio statement that the auroral phenomena are aecompanietl by audihiu sounds has been disputed by numy writers. I have only to add, that, if they eould not have heard tho " rustlings " from the deck of "The Curlev/" tluit night, they must have been lamentably deaf. The light wavered visibly, brightening and waning with marveUous swiftness. "Shall we call the other young gentlemen?" Dono- van ashed. " Yes ; out don'."; tell them what it is. See what they will think of it." In a few moments Kit and Wade and Kaed were coming out of the companion-wa3', rubbing their eyes in great bewilderment. They were followed by tho cap- tain. " Heavens ! " he exclaimed. " Is the ship on fire ? " " Fire ! " cried AVade ex(;itedly, catching at the last word: '' did you say/nr,^" "No, no!" exclaimed Kit. 'It's notlilng — nothing — but daybreak ! " " It's only one o'clock," said Donovan, willing to keep them in doubt. Capt. ^Lizard was rushing about, looking over the bul- warks. "There's no fire," said he, "unless W:} Tip in the sky. Dut, by Jove ! if you aren't a red-looking set ! — redder than lobste 's !" " Not redder than yerself, cap'n," laughed Donovan, who greatly enjoyed their mystitication. "The sea is like blood!" exclaimed Wade. "You I i K f LKIT ON LAIiUADOR. 63 (lou't suppose tlic da}' of judjjfini'iit lias come and caiij^'ht us away up here in Hudson's Straits, do you V " " Kot quite so bad as tliat, T guess," said liacd. "T have it : it's the aurora boroulis j nothing worse, nor more dangerous." J. lia«l expected Kaed would come to it as soon as lie had got his eyes open. "A red aurora!" said the captain. "Js that the "way you explain it?" " Not a red aurora exactly," returned Eai'd, " hut an aurora shining down through the thick fog. The aurora itself is miles ahove tlie fog, up in the sky, and l)roI)ahly of the same bright yellow as usual ; but the dense mist gives it this red hue." "I've heard that the northern lights were caused by electricity," said Weymouth. " Is that so?" "It is thought to bo electricity passing through Iho air high up from the earth," replied Kaed. '* That's what the scientific nu-n tell us." ''They can tell us that, and wo shall l,>e just as wise as we were before," said Kit. " Tlu'y can't tell us wh.at electri(;ity is." "Why!" exclaimed the captain, "I thought elec- tricity was " — " Well, what? " said Kit, laughing. "Why, the — the stuff they telegraph with," finished the captain a little confusedly. " Well, what's that ? " persisted Kit. "What is it?" repeated the captain confidently. " Why, it is -^ well — Hang it ! I don't know ! *' We all burst out laughing : the captain himself 64 LEFT ON LAP.RADOR. laughed, — his case was so very nearly like everybody's who uiideitukes to talk about the wondrous, subtlo clement. J>y the by, his deliuition of it — viz., tiiat it is " the stulTwe telegra[)h witli '' — strike.s me as being about the best one 1 ever heard. Kit and Jlaed, lu)\vever, havo got a tlieory, — wiiieh they ex[)Ound very gravely, — to llu) ell't-et tiiat electricity and the liiminil'erous ether — that thin medium through whicli light is propagated from the sun, and which pervades all matter — are one and the sann; thing; which, of course, is all ver}' line as a theory, and will bo liner when they can givo the proof of it. After watching the aurora for some minutes longer, during which it kept waxing and waning with alternate pale-crimson and ])lood-red Hushes, we went back to our bunks ; whence we were only aroused by ralmleaf call- ing us to breakfast. If there was any wind that morning it must have been from the east, when the crags of the island under which v,e lay would havo interrupted it. Not a breath reached the deck of "The Curlew ; " and we were thus obliged to remain at our anchorage, which, in complinu'Ui to the cai>tain, and after the custom of navigators, we named Mazat'd's Buy. As the inlet bore no name, and was not even indicated on the charts we hail with us, we felt at liberty to thus di-signate it, h-aving to future explomra the privilege of rechristening it at their ]>leasure. " We shall have a lazy morning of it," Kit remarked ivs W(! stood loit'-ring about tin- «lt(k. "I propose that we \vi down the boat, and go ashore on the island,'' said Wade. " 'Twould seem good to set foot ou something firm once more." «.^ 7 LEFT ON LABRADOR. w •^ "Well, those lodgos look firm enough,'' replied KaeJ. "■See here, ca[)tain : here's a ch;i[) hedging to get ashore. Is it sate to trust him t)iV the ship '/ " '• Hardly,'' laughed Capt. IMazard. " He might de- sert." "Then I move we all go with him," said Kit. " Let's take some of those muskets along too. IMay get a shot ut those wild-geese we heard last evening." The boat was lowered. We hoys and the captain, with Donovan and Iluhhs to row us, got over the rail, and paddled to where a broad jetting ledge formed a natural quay, on which we leaped. The rock was worn smooth by the waves of centuries. To let the sailors go ashore with us, we drew up the boat on the rock several feet, and made it fast with a line knotted into a crevice between two fragments of flint}' sienite rock at the foot of the crags. We then, with consitlerahlo dilliculty and mutual '* boosting," clambered up to the top of the dirt's, thirty or fvity feet above the boat, and thence made our way up to the sunnnit of a bald pi-ak half a mile from the shore, which promised a good prospect of the surrounding islands. It is hardly pos- sible to give an idea of the desolate aspect of these ledgy islets. There was absolutely no soil, no earth, on them. More than half tlie surface was bare as black sienite could be. Huge leathery lichens hung to the rtjcka in patches ; and so tough were they, that one might i)ull on them with his whole strength witliout t«?aring them. In the crevices an«l tiny ravines between tlio ledges, there were vast Ix-ds of damp uioss. Tn crossing these we went knee-dee][^), and once waist-deep, 6 G6 LEFT ON LABRADOR. i y fli into it. Tlif <»iily i»lant T saw viis a ftrjiilinf:^ sliniltlcf, yoinet lines si-t-n on liigli nionntiiins in New ICnj^liunl, aii'l l ro'.iiiiiGf in! '' slioutod the captain, start- ini^ to run down tlic rocks. The .s(;Iioon('r liud su'iinr so near the rocks. Why, that inlet ran like Niagara rapids ! " " What an evidence this gives one of the strength of the moon's attraction!" said llaed. " All this great mass of water — thirty feet high — is drawn in here by the moon. What enormous force ! " " And this vast power is exerted over a distance of two hundred and thirty-eight thousand miles," remarked Kit. " I can't understand this attraction of gravitation, — how it is exerted," said Wade. " iSTo more can any one," replied Raed. " It is said that this attraction of the moon, or at least the friction of the tides on the ocean-bed which it causes, 70 LKFT ON LABRADOR. is exortod in opposi ii to tlie rovolution of the earth on its axis, auut how are we to go ahoard, sir ? " inquired Ilohhs, to whom our present fix was of more interest than the long days of far-distant posterity. The boat had been tossed about here and there, and was now some twenty or thirty j'ards ast^'rn of the schooner. " Have to swim for it," said Donovan. ' " Not in this icy water, I hope," said Kit. " Can't we devise a plan to captun; it ?" " They might tie a belaying-pin to the end of a line, and throw it into the boat," said the captain. "Or, better still, one of those long cod-lines with the heavy sinker and hook on it," suggested Ilobbs. "dust the thing!" exclaimed Capt. Hazard. "Sing out to them ! " " Unless I'm mi:- dvcn. that is just what old Trull is up to now," said Wade. " liv's throwing something : see that ! " LEFT ON LABRADOR. 71 ir As Wad. The lirst throw fell short, and the line was drawn in ; the second and th.ird went aside ; but tlie fourth landed the grapnel in th" ooat. It was hauled in. Weymouth and Corliss then got aboard, and came off to us. " Weil, boys, what sort of a dry storm have you been having liere ? " said the captain as they came up under where we stood. " Never saw such a hole ! " exclaimed Weymouth. "You don't know how we were slat about! W^e went rifjJit vp on it ! Had to pay out six fathom of extra cable, anyway. D'ye mind what a thundering noise that ice made ? " ' We went off to the schooner. Trull stood awaiting us, grinning grimly. " I don^'t gen'ly give advice to my betters," he began, with a hitch at his trousers; ''but" — " You'd be getting out of this ? " finished Kaed. " I wud, sur." There was a general laugh all round. But the wind had set dead in the south-east again. There was no room for tacking in tlie narrow inlet. To get out we should have to tow the schooner a mile against the wind, — among ice too. Clearly we must lay here till the wind favored. We concluded, however, to change our position for one a little lowx'r down, and nearer the middle of the cove. The anchor was heaved up preparatory to towing the vessel along. Tlie men had considerable didiculty in starting it off the bottom ; and. on getting it up. one of the flukes was found to be chipped olf, — bits as large as one's 7li LEFT ON LAIiRADOR. fi.sf, proLaMy from catcliing among ja.'jjgcd rooks at the Ijottom. Wo thoiiglit lliat tliis might also account tor tlic tenacity with wliich the andior held against tlie tide. DoubtlcsK there were crevices and cracks, with great bowlders, s( attcred about on the bottom of the cove. Towing " Tiie (Jurlow " back not far from a hun- dred yards from our first bertli, tlio anclior was again h't go in thirty-seven fathoms ; and, for additional security, a second cable was bent to our extra anchor, which we dr()i>[)ed out of the stern. This inatter, witii arrange- ments for heaving the anchor up with tackle and fa' j't we had no windlass in the *tern), took up the tim- till I considerably past noon. i 1 CIIArXER V. A Dead Narwhal. — Snowy Owls. — Two Hoars in Sight. — Firing on them with the Howitzer. — A llear-llunt among tlie Ice. — An Ice " Jungle." — .\n Kxciting Cluisc. — Tlie lU-urturus. — I'uhnleuf mtkea "a Sure Sliot." — " Uun, vou Black Son I " m- A ])OUT two o'clock a (load narwhal caino floatini:^ out witli the ice iVom^thc iiorth-oast arm, and passed quite near the scliooner, — so near, that wo could jndjTo pretty accurately as to its lengtli, which w(5 estimated to bo twenty or twenty-two feet ; and its horn, or tusk, wliich was partly under water, could not have been less than five feet. "Killed among the ice there,! reckon," said Capt. ]\[azard. " Crushed ui). I sliould not wonder if tlii^'e were a great many largo fish killed so." It seemed not improhahle ; for we had seen several snowy owls hovering over the ice-packs; and about an liour afterwards, as we were reading in the cabin, Wey- mouth came down to say that a couple of bears were in sight up there among the ice. We went up imnuidiate- ly. None of us had ever seen a white bear, save at m 'uageries, where they had to keep the poor l)rutes (lri|)]>ing with ice-water, they were so near roasting witli our climate. To see a white bear ]>ro\vling in his native ice-fastnesses was, therefore, a novel spectacle for us. 7a 74 LEl'T ON LABUAOOU. Tlioy wore distaiit from tlio selioonor, at a rough guess, five liiindroi] yards, and .seemed to hav'e a }^()o<{ deal of business about a hole, or chasm, among the looso ice at some distance up the arm. "Seal or a dead liiuier in there, I'll be bound," said the captain, "Now, boys, there's a chance for a bcar- liunt ! " "Suppose we give 'em a shot from my cannon-rifle," I suggested. "Better tahe the howitzer," said Ilaed. "Load it with a grist of those bullets." " Tliav'll be the most likely to fetch 'em," laughed the car>tain. Wade ran down after the powder and balls. The rest of us unlashed tlie gun, got oft' the rubber-cloth, and trundled it along to point it over the starboard rail. Ilaed then swabbed it out ; Kit poured in the powder; while Wade and I rammed down a wad of old news- paper. "Xow put in a good dose of these blue-pills," ad- vised the captain, scoopiiig up both hands full from the bajx m which we kent them. "Ef you war tcr jest tie 'em up, or wrop 'em in a bit of canvas, they'd go straighter, and wouldn't scatter round so bad," remarked old Trull, who was n«'t an uninterested s])ectator of the proceedings. " j\Iake them up sort of grape or canister shot fashion, you mean," said Raed. " Yos ; that's wliat I mean, — ter keep *em frum seat- terin'." "Not a bad idea," said Capt. IMazard. " Wey- I *r» •t LEFT ON LABIJAnoiJ. J3 iT* i, . nifmth, bring a piece of nkl canvas and a Iwt of mnnila- yarn." About a quart of tho ounce balls wr-ro lia^^tily wrapprd in tlic canvas, and lashed up with tho h»'n!i)on twine. The bag was Uiftj rantmed down upon tho pow- der, and tho howitzer pointed. '"Let old Trull do tho shootin,'^," whispered Kit. "He will be as likidy to hit aa any of u.s.'' " ]Mi-. Trull," Capt. Mazard bejj^an, " we must look to you to shoot those bears for us. Pepper 'em good, now 1 " At til at we all ytood away from tho p^un. The old fellow .t,'riun(!d, hositator. J'al.nioaf no\>- came up with a bit of tarred rope lighted ac the stove, and smoking aft(>r tho manner of a slow match, with a red c(tal at the end. Trull took the rope, and, watching his chance till both tho bears wore in sight and near each otlier, touched the priming, — 77.'..v-,t'-,v-wiiA\(j ! The carriage rec/)iled almost as smartly us my big rifle had done. Why is it that a person'8tanlart right in lil'e. Kaed arnd the captain had stopped. J' They wuro right opposite here, over tuuoug the icu/' 78 MIT ON I.Ar.i:.\l)(M{. Jui< il \v;is saying'. '* I iiiailvfd llii' ^pnt l>y ihat liij;ii cakf stii'kiu;^ up rtlioNr tlif icht.'' *• \V«( iH'fd h(jiliji;^-la«l«ltiH to ^'tt up nnioTi;^ it,"' la)i;^'Ii»(l Kit. "Tulk of inipt-uutrubK! juiiglt'i*! Iutu in it junv;lf uf iff ! '' luia;^iM«', n-jKlcr, ii llutusautl iiM!-i'ali»'.s fruui six to thirty Itnt H(|uan', uuil »tl' ivny grade of thitkiii'ss, pili'd »id<'\vis«', rdp'wisj', Mlant\vis«», trosswisr, and tlatwinn on t«»p of ihui, Jind you nuiy, pt-rliaps, gain hoiuc itira id' thu vtutt jam wlii( li iillfd thu urui and lay luap«>d up twnity mid thirty I'ct't ubovo us. For a uiouu'Ut wo Were at ii hws )>o\v to suruumnt it ; tlim all l«';4an look- ing along for .some availaldi; cranny or rift which might orti-r a footln»ld. " Hfri-'s ft hnach ! " Weymouth shouted. lie had gone along ft do/in r(»ds farther. We lol- lowi'il to si'i! him nn»unting l»y the jagged edge of a vast eako livo or si.\ feet thiik whieh projected out over the Jedgud. Kit followed; and they stood at the top, stretching down Ixlping hands. In tive nunuten wo were uU up, stantling, clinging, and halancing on tho glassy edgi'S of ice, ami hopping and leaping fron> cako to (;ake. Craiks, crevic«'s, and jagg«'d hoU-s opened ten, iilti'cn, and twenty feet sheer di»wn all ahout us. A uingle mi.s.step woidd send ns heud-furemost into them. '* I »ay," exchiinu'tl ('apt. Ma/ard, harely saving himself from a tumhle, ''this is a «lfrvil of a funny place for a hear-hunt! No chaucu for rapid rutieat« 1 It will he light hear, or die !" The place wher(> the hears had stond when old 'I'rull hud Urcd WiUJ back Ul'teen or twenty roda to the rijjlil. LiMT ON r.vniJADoi:. 71) Wo workfil ulV ill tli;it -.sliaiH'»l «Mwit;o into wliifli hn liiiil Hlippcil. Airiviii\' I.AI'.n.MH)!!. A few nxU r;ir!ljt'r «Mi, \V»ym')n«'>4 of soim^ lish. This is thr very pliK'f wlioro tlu-y wt-ro when wo lirst sttw thciii," Hiiid Wryiiioiifh. "Ten to one they've t ruwlcd into Hduif of thi»s(« hig ciMrks." \Vr j)itth((l (l(»\VM a loose junk of u-.o, and a;. am lu'urd a growl : tiiongli just wlicrc it issued f|;oni was liai'd telling; for the hroad i'm'.nA of the cakctH, set at all angles, eehoetl the sound in a most bewildering manner. Kit and the captain canm aloDg ; and we rolled down another fragment. Another growl. "He's in behind this great <'alvO that sots njnight against the side! of tin; hole !" exclaimed Weymouth. '•Thiidc so?'* said iviiece oiV on to it. May scaro him out." \\\' manag(Ml to turn it over tlu^ odgo ; when it fell ' ami hallooing! They were all mad with oxcitenient! Wo, who had killed onr hear, kei)t after thom as fast as wo could run, hut couldn't hegin to catch up. ]'>ang! Somebody fired at him thou. 'Twas IIobl)s. '^Cut him olf!" « "Headhim I" was tlio cry. " He's lilt ! " " Head him off thoro ! " Wado and Donovan were actually outstripping the bear, and getting ahead; seeing which, tho frightvned, maddened beast tacked sharp to the left to escapj; l)ehind thom on that side, — going straight for Pahnleaf, who was now considerably behind AVade and Don. Instant- ly a yel4arose fn^m all hands. "Lookout, ralmleaf!" "Shoot him, ralmloafl" "Let him have it!" • "Aim low!" IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V /. {•/ w- C?. y 1.0 I.I ■'^ IIIM IIIIM t 1^ 20 i.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. HSBO (716) 872-4503 ,--. '-i: .¥■■ ^^ Si -r- K ■. . ■'i- 1 %., ■-■^V ^ ..iy ""'■ ^. *S; »• * "^ •*- Jh^^v t r-'i. '' Hun, you Black Boh l '^ 82 "I Tl and, to ra or te] overl: direci u. ) iuvl bet»ii rnvasng li;inl,sto|)peii short, Vi^..' l"-!'' bov! ;...:•-> :^ t/iAvard hill), inado a feint frf.uvki'it, wh«-tj ■>. ntnit ofT, cither iroiri a\'.',idaleaf turned to run } but, Seeing a high rand of ice sticki >;■ up a few yards- to his left, he leaped for it, and, jump ig up, caught hh hands at the top, and tried to '' up ou to il. Xhr b*>ar v.aiJ within sLx i'eet '.-'.'i^. ^-f* % l«ry. draw of hii Ba-. f-' ■ ' • Ba, *r . ' • ■ . * Rat i ,ttn\ On\\is9 and lx«fm v n^i tipt^i withlc twentiv yards. But the bear riiaxe«i. m\A sfriirtfe^ w*5li tw4 fore- paws it tho (hirlcy's legs, s^trijtpirii? hi* Cp«»tit«ers clean off the fir t pull. Such a howl as cutau from his terriJied throat . . r ' Cm . Tha to, but medial By nearly ja % l>otter :sl}i>*;. 'ViiA boar tunnnl otr s«t out w« itt a livj^>i. tfc«t» ucTatnb" ^^ !'.>^iaca ni.-,t — iH-ottv ish It, save Guard j and lie ate tlie most of it. ! ti CHAPTER VI. The Middle Savage Isles. — Glimpse of an Esquimau Canoe. — Firing at a Bear with the Cannon-Rifle. — A Strange Sound. — The Esquimaux. — Their Kayaks. — They come on board. — An Unintelligible Tongue. — "Chymo." DURING the night following our bear-hunt a storm came on, — wind, rain, and snow, as before, — and continu-'d all the next day. The tremendous tides, how- ever, eflectually prevented any thing like dulness from "creeping over our spirits ; " since we were sure of 9, sen- sation at least twice in twenty-four hours. But during the next night it cleared up, with the wind north ; and, quite early on the morning of the 11th of July, we dropped out of " Hazard's Bay," and stood away up the straits. At one o'clock we sighted another group of moun- tainous isles, — the same figured on the chart as the " Middle Savage Isles ; " and by five o'clock we were passing the easternmost a couple of miles to the south- W'ard. Between it and the next island, which lay a lit- tle back to the north, there was a sort of bay filled with floating ice. Eaed was leaning on the bulwarks with his glass, scanning the islands as we bowled along under a full spread of canvas. Suddenly he turned, and called to Kit. 84 I .i ! I LEFT ON LABRADOR. 85 "Get your glass," ho said. "Or never mind: take mine. Now look right up there between those islands. What do you see ? " " Seals," replied Kit slowly, with the glass to his eye. "Any quantity of seals on the ice there; and — there's something larger scooting along. That's a narwhal : no, 'tain't, either. By jolly ! see the seals flop off into the water as it shoots along ! afraid of it. There ! some- thing flashed then in the ^un ! E-aed, I believe that's a kayak, — an Esquimau canoe ! An Esquimau catching seals ! " " That's what I thought." "Wash!" "Wade!" " Get your glasses, and come here quick I " " What's that about Esquimau ? " demanded Capt. Hazard, coming along from the binnacle. " An Esquimau 7^a^a/i; .^ " said Raed. " That so ? " running after his glass. In a few moments we were all — all who had glasses — looking off at the wonderful objeet, to see which had been one of the pleasant hopes of our voyage ; and yet I am bound to say, that, in and of itself, it was no great of a sight, especially at a distance of two miles. But, con- sidered as an invention perfected through centuries by one of the most singular peoples of the Man family, it is, in connection with all their implements of use, well worth a study. Indeed, there is, to me at least, some- thing so inexpressibly quaint and bizarre about this race, as to render them an object well deserving of a visit. More strikingly even than the Hottentot or the Digger \ I : f V i'l 8G LEFT ON LAIillADOR. Indian of the Western sago deserts do they exhibit the iron sway of elimate and food over habits and character, as well as pliysical growtli and development. The kayak moved about from point to point for some minutes ; then shot up into the passage between the islets, and was lost from view. " Suppose he saw us, — saw the schooner ? " said Wade. " Should have thought ho might," replied the captain. "Must be a pretty conspicuous object out here in the sun, with all sail set." " He may have gone to give news of our arrival," said Haed ; " for I presume there are others — whole families — not far away. These people always live in small com- munities or villages, I understand." " This may be as good a chance to see them as we shall get," said Kit. " What say for shortening sail, or standing up nearer the islands, and laying to for the night?" ''Just as you say, gentlemen," replied the captain. It was agreed to stand up within half a mile, and so cruise along leisurely; thus giving them a chance to coniTOunicate with us if they desired. The helm was accordingly put round, and '"The Curlew" headed for the second island. Half an hour to6k us up within a thousand yards of the -ledges: the schooner was then hove to for an hour. "A few discharges from the howitzer might stir them up," suggested Wade. " We could do that ! " exclaimed Raed. Powder was brought up, and the gun charged and f i LEFT ON LAIJKADOR. 8T lirc'd. A tlmndorous echo canio back from tlie rocky sides of tlio islands. A second and a third shot were given at intervals of five minutes: but we saw nothing more of the Izauah; and, after waiting nearly an hour more, the schooner was headed around, and continued on her course at about the same distance from the islands. A gun was fired every hour till midnight. We then turned in for a nap. Trom this time till four o'clock the next morning we passed three islands : so the sailors reported. The high mainland was distinctly visible four or five miles to the northward. At five o'clock we w^ere oiT a small, low islet,— scarcely more than a broad ledge, rising at no point more than ten feet above the sea. It was several miles from the island next above it, however, and girdled by a glittering ice-field, the 3VMnains of last winter's frost, not yet broken up. Altogether the islet and the ice- field about it was perhaps two or two miles and a half in diameter. On the west it was separated from the island below it— a high, black dome of sienite—by a narrow channel of a hundred and fifty yards. Hundreds of seals lay basking in the s. n along the edges of the ice- field ; and, as we were watching them, we saw a bear swim across the channel and climb on to the ice-field. Land- ing, he gave his shaggy sides a shake; then, makino- a short run, seized upon a seal, off which he was soon break- fasting. "We'll spoil his fun!" exclaimed Kit. "Bring up one of those solid shots, Wade. We've got two bear- skins ; but we shall want one apiece. I propose to have an overcoat next winter out of that fellow's hide." It ! 1 ! > I 88 LEFT ON LAlWJAUOn. The howitzer was loaded witli the six-pound iron l)all. Kit undertook to do the sliooting tliis time. Tlie distance was, we judged, somewhere from three-fourths of a mile to a mile. The rest of us got our glasses, and went hack toward the stern to watch the effect of the shot. Of course it is hap-hazard work, firing at so small an ohject at so great a distance, with a cannon, from the deck of a vessel in motion. Nevertheless Kit made quite a show of elevating the gun and getting the range. I'resently he touched off. The first we saw of the shot was its striking on the ice-field at a long distance short of the bear. The hits of ice flew up smartly, and the ball must have ricochetted ; for we saw the ice fly up again quite near the hear, and then at another point be- yond him. It probably went over him at no great height. The creature paused from his bloody feast, looked round, and then ran off a few rods, and stood sniffing for some moments, but soon came back to the seal. Whether it was the report, or the noise of the ball whirring over, which had startled him, was not very evident. " Not an overcoat ! " laughed Eaed. " It's my turn now," said I, uncovering my smaller cannon. " I'll make the next bid for that overcoat." I put in a little less than half a gill of powder this time, and wrapped a thin patch round the ball to make it fit tightly. It was all we could do to drive it down. The gun was then capped and cocked. I moved the screw to elevate it about an inch, and, watching my chance as the schooner heaved, let drive. But the bear kept on eating. There was a general laugh. " Didn't even notice you ! " cried Kit. " I can over- "^ i ill LEFT ON LAlilJADOll. SO T J bid that!" — taldng up the powder to ri-load the liow- itzer. "I^ot before I bid again," said I. And at it we went to ?>" who would get loaded first to get the next shot. But, my gun being so mueh the smaller and more easily h^aidled, I had my ball down before Kit had his pow ^ I'-wad rammed. The rest stood clapping and cheering us. Ha.stily priming the tube, I Avhipped on a cap, then be. icoued to old Trull. "Here," said I, "shoi»t that bear for me!" The old salt chuckled, and had his eye to the piece immediately. I snatched up my glass. Kit paused to see the result. The old man pulled the trigger. There was a moment's hush, then a great " Hurrah ! " The bear had jumped up, and, whirling partly round, ran olf across the ice-field roaring, ice fancied ; for he had his mouth open, and snapping round to his flanks. He had been grazed, if nothing more. AVith the glass we could detect blood on his white coat. "He's hit! "said I. "Let's bear up into the chan- nel: that'll stop him from getting back to the high islands. We can then hunt him at leisure on the ice- field. He won't care to swim clean up to the" — "Hark!" e^xclaimed Eaed suddenly. "What's that noise?" We all listened. It was a noise not greatly unlike the faint, distant cawing and hawing of a vast flock of crows as they sometimes congregate in autumn. " It's some sort of water-fowl clanging out there about the high islands/' said I. 90 LEFT ON LABRADOR. I Again it rose, borne on tlie wind, — " Ta-ijar-r-r ! ta-yar-r-r ! ta-yar-r-r ! " Had we been at home, I sliould have taken it for a distant mass-meeting eheering tlio result of the presidential eleetion, or perhaps the presi- dential nomination at the convention. It had a pecu- liarly barbarous, reckless sound, which was not wholly unfamiliar. But up here in Hudson Straits we were at a loss how to account for it. " I believe it's the Huskies," said the captain. " Take a good look all around with your glasses." We ran our eyes over the islands. They looked bare of any thing like an Esquimaux convention. Presently Kit uttered an exclamation. "Why, just turn your glass off to the main, beyond the islands; right over the ice-field; on that lofty brown headland that juts out from the main ! There they are ! " There they were, sure enough, — a grimy, bare-headed crowd, swinging their arms, and gesticulating wildly. It could not have been less than five miles; but the faint " Ta-yar-r-r ! " still came to our ears. "Suppose they are calling to us?" cried Eaed. "Yes; looks like that," replied the captain. " Heard the guns, you see," said Kit ; " those wo fired at the bear." " Port the helm ! " ordered the captain. " We'll beat up through this channel to the north side of the ice- field." " Perhaps we had best not go up too near them at first," remarked Eaed, "till we find out what sort of folks they are." LEFT ON LABRADOR. 91 "JTo : two milos will be near enoiigli. They will como off to us, — as many of them as we shall want on board at one time, I dare say." The schooner bore np through the channel, and wore along the ice-field on the north side at a distance of a few hundred yards from it. We saw the bear running off round to the south-east side to keep away from us ; though, as may readily be supposed, our attention was mainly directed to the strange people on the headland, whose discordant cries and shouts could now be plainly heard. We could see them running down to the shore ; and immediately a score of canoes shot out, and came paddling towards us. " You don't doubt that their coming off is from friendly motives, captain ? " Kit asked. "Oh, no!" "Still forty or fifty stout fellows might give us our hands full, if they were ill disposed," remarked Wade. " That's a fact," admitted the captain ; "though I don't believe they would attempt any thing of the sort." "Well, there is no harm in being well armed," said E-aed. " Kit, you and Wash get up half a dozen of the muskets, and load them. Fix the bayonets on them too. Wade and I will load the howitzer and the mighty rifle. And, captain, I don't believe we had better havo more than a dozen of them aboard at one time till wo know them better." " That may be as well," replied Capt. Mazard. " It will be unpleasant having too many of them aboard at once, anyway. And, in order to have the deck under our thumb a little more, I am going to station two of m i 1 I I 92 LEFT ON LABRADOR. the sailors with muskots, as a guard, near the man at the wlieel, anotlier amidships, and two more forwiird." Meanwliile the kdi/alcs were approaching, a wliole school of them, sliouting and racing witli each other. Such a barbaric din ! Tlie crowd on the shore added tlieir distant sliouts.' '' There's another thing we must look out for," re- marked the captain. " These folks are said to be a little thievish. It will be well enough to put loose small articles out of sight." Hastily perfecting our arrangements, we provided ourselves each with a musket, and were ready for our strange visitors. They came paddling up, one to a ca- noe. Their paddles had blades at each end, and were used on either side alternately, with a queer windmill sort of movement. " Twenty-seven of them," said Kit. " Bareheaded, every mother's son of them ! " exclaimed Weymouth. " Only look at the long-haired mokes ! " laughed Donovan. " Why, they're black as Palmleaf ! " cried Hobbs. "Oh, no! not nearly so black," said Bonney. "Just a good square dirt-color." This last comparison was not far from correct. The Esquimaux are, as a matter of fact, considerably darker than the red Indians of the United States. They are not reddish : they are brown, to which grease and din- giness add not a little. On they came till Avithin fifty , yards ; when all drew up on a sudden, and sat regarding us in something like silence. Perhaps our bayonets, L1:F T ON LABRADOR. 93 with the sunlight flashing on them, may have filh^d them with a momentaiy suspicion of danger. Seeing this, we waved our arms to them, beckoning them to approach. While examining the relics of a past age, — the stone axes, arrow-heads, and maces, — I have often pictured in fancy the bai'barous habits, the wild visages, and harsh accents, of prehistoric races, — races living away back at the time when men were just rising above the brute. In the wild semi-brutish shouts and gesticula- tions which followed our own gesture of friendliness I seemed to hear and see these wild fancies verified, — verified in a manner I had not supposed it possible to be observed in this age. And yet here were primitive sav- ages apparently, not fifteen hundred miles in a direct course from our own enlightened city of Boston, where, as we honestly believe, we have the cream (some of it, at least) of the world's civilization. Eeflcct on this fact, ye who think the whole earth almost ready for the reign of scientific righteousness ! Such an unblessed discord ! such a cvy of pristine savagery ! They came darting up alongside, their great fat, flat, greasy faces, with their little sharp black eyes, looking up to us full of confidence, and twinkling with expectation of good bargains. During our voyage we had got out of our books quite a number of Esquimaux words with their English meanings ; but these fellows gabbled so fast, so shock- ingly indistinct, .aid ran every tiling together so, that we could not gain the slightest idea of wliat tliey were say- ing, further than by the word " rht/mo,'^ which, as v.-e had [)ivviously learned, meant trai/e, or barter. Ikit they II 94 LEFT ON LABRADOR. m El "t ii 1 *■• had nothing with them to trade off to us, save their kayaks, paddles, and liarpoons. " But let's get a lot of them up here where we can see them," said Wade. We now made signs for them to climb on deck ; and immediately half a dozen of them stood up, and, with a spring, caught hold of the rail, and came clambering up, leaving their canoes to float about at random. Five — seven — eleven — thirteen — came scratching over. " There, that'll do for one dose," said Raed. Kit and Wade stepped along, and thrust out their muskets to stop the stream. One little fellow, however, had got half up : so they let him nig in, making fourteen in all. Throe or f )ur more had tried to get up near the stern ; but AVeymouth and Don, who were on duty there, rapped their knuckles gently, as a reminder to let go and drop back into their koi/aks, whicli they did with- out grumbling. In(h;ed, th(>y seemed singularly inoften- sive ; and, come to get them on deck, they were '-little fellows," — not so tall as we boys even by a whole head. They were pretty thick and stout, however, and had remarkably large heads and faces. I do not think the tallest of them was much if any over live feet. Dono- van, who was about six feet, looked like a giant beside them. They stood jiuddled together, looking just a little wistful at being cut off from their fellows, and casting fearful glances at Guard, who stood barlcing ex- citedly at them from the companion-way. Though used to dogs, they had very likely never seen a jet-black New- foundland before. Possil'ly they mistook him for some different animal. LEFT ON LART^ADOR. 95 "Wliat are we thinking of," cxclaimod Raed, "with our gr;ns and bayonets ! Wliy, those little chaps look the very embodiment of good nature ! Here they trust themselves among us without so much as a stick in th.eir hands ; while we've got out all our deadly weapons ! Let's let the rest of them come up if they want to." Kit and Wade stood back, and beckoned to the others : whereat they all came climbing up, save one, who staid, apparently, to look out^ for the empty 1,'ayalcs which were floating about. They brought rather strong odors of smoke and greasy mangincss j but more good- natured faces I never saw. " My eye ! but aren't they flabl)y fat ! " exclaimed Hobbs. " That comes of drinking seal and whale oil," said I3onney. " Guess they don't sport combs much," said Donovan. " Look at those tousled heads ! Bet you, they're lousy as hens ! " "Talk to 'em, Raed," said Kit. "Say something. Ask 'em if they want to chijmo.'" At the sound of this last word they turned their little sharp eyes brightly on Kit. " Chymo?" said llaed interrogatively. Instantly they began to crowd round him, a dozen jabbering all at once. Faster even than before they ran on, amid which wo could now and then distinguish words which sounded like oomiaksool', hennclny, cob loo-nal-, ye-meck. These words, as we had read, meant hig sli'qi, woman, Enf/l'ishman, iCfiU'V, respectively. ]>ut it was utterly impossible to make out in what connec- 'HI II IT 4" t fl f l\ 06 LEFT ON LABRADOR. tion thoy were used.' Despite our vocabulary, we were as much at a loss as ever. "Confountl it !" Kit exclaimed. "Let's make signs. No use trying to talk with them." " We shall want one of those kayaks to carry home," remarked Racd. " Captain, will you please bring up a couple of those long bars of iron and three or four yards . of red flannel? Wo will see what can be done in the chynio line." Capt, IVIazard soon appeared with the iron and the flannel ; at sight of which the exclamation of " CJiymo ! " and " T'ljnid ! " (" Good ! ") were redoubled. Eaed then took the articles, and, going to the side, pointed down to one of the canoes, then to the iron bars, and said clnjmo. At that some of them said " Tyma" and others ^^ Nerjga- mal^'' with a shake of their heads ; but when Raed pointed to both the iron and the flannel, undoubling it as he did so, they all cried '^ Tynia!-^ and one of them (the owner of the hayaJx, as it proved) came forward to take the tilings. I'aed gave them to him. A line with a slip- noose was then dro[)ped over the nose of the hayak, and it was pulknl on board. In plan it was much like our cedar " shells " used at regattas, — a narrow shift* about twenty-three feet in length by eighteen inches in width. At the centre there was a small round hole just large enough for one to sit with his legs under the seal-skin deck, which was bound • tiglitly to a hoop encircling the hole. Indeed, the whole outside o^" this singular craft was of seal-skins, sewed together and drawn tiglit as a drum-head over a frame i composed mainly of the rib-bones of the walrus. The I I LEFT ON LABRADOR. m u ;" 3ed at et in there to sit :)Oiind whole sowed frill ue The I douT)le-t>ladod paddle was tied to the l-aijah with a long thong ; as was also a harpoon, made of hones laid together, and wound over with a long thong of green seal-skin. The lance-blade at the point was of very white, fine ivory ; probably tliat of the walrus. Attached to the harpoon -was a very long coil of line, made also of braided seal-skin, and wound about a short, upright peg behind the hoop. "We supposed that the paddle and the harpoon went with the kayak. But the owner did not see it in that light. As soon as it had been haided on deck, he proceeded to untie the thongs, much to the amusement of the captain. As we wished these articles to go together, nothing remained but to drive a new bargain for them. E-aed, therefore, took one of our large jack-kuives from his pocket, and, opening it, pointed to tV paddle, and again said cliymo. Tliey all ner/f/a-mai-ed, giving us to understand that it wouldn't be a fair trade ; in oth"ir words, that they couldn't aftbrd it : and the owner of the paddle kept re- peating the work karrack deprecatingly. '" What in the world does karrack mean ? " Eaed asked, turning to us. • Nobody knew. " Karrack ? " queried he. « "Karrack, karrack !^^ was the reply. " Karrack, karrack, karrack ! " they all cried, point- ing to the paddle and also to the bulwarks. "They mean ivood ! ^^ exclaimed the captain. "Cor- liss, bring up two or three of those four-foot sticks such as we are using for firewood." It was brought, and thrown down on deck. 7 98 LEFT ON LABRADOR. 3... i\'i U ^' KarracJc, Varrach ! ''"' thoy all exclaimed, and fell to laiigliing in a most extraordinary way, making a noise wliicli seemed to come from low down in their stomachs, and resembled the syllables nch-heh, or yeh-yeli, over and over and over. Eaed pointed to the three sticks of wood, and then to the paddle, with another " chyinoJ^ That was tyma; for they all nodded and heJi-heJt-ed again. " A trade," said the captain. " Now for the harpoon and line." These we got for a bar of iron and another stick of wood. It at first seemed rather singuUir that they should prize a stick of ordinary split wood so highly ; but it was easily accounted for when we came to reflect that this vast region is destitute of trees of anv size. Wood was almost as eagerly souglit for as iron. I have no doubt that a very profitable trade might be made with a cargo of wood along these straits, exchanged for walrus-ivory, bear-skins, and seal-skins. They wore a sort of jacket, or round frock, of bear- skin, with a cap, or hood, fastened to the collar like the hood of a water-proof. It was tied with thongs in front, and came down to the thigh. Kit bought one of these for a jack-knife, — for a curiosity, of course. Wade also purchased a pair of seal-skin moccasons, with legs to the knee, for a butcher-knife; wdiich gave us a chance to ob- serve that the owner wore socks of dog-skin, with the hair in. A pair of these were chymoed from another man for a stick of wood. Beneath their bear-skin frocks they wore a shirt of some thin skin, which the captain pronounced to be JJ clie i LEFT ON LABKADOR. 99 I ■-•# bliiJder-skin, — of bears, perhaps. I got one of tliese shirts for a jack-knife. Wishing to have an entire out- fit, we bought a pair of breeches of the man of whom we had ah-(,'ady purchased the boots, for a dozen spike- nails. These were of fox-skin, apparently, with ^.he hair worn next the skin. I noticed that one man wore a small white bone or ivory trinket, seemingly carved to represent a child. Pointing to it, I held out a butch- er-knife, — a good bargain, I fancied. Somewhat to my surprise, he ncgga-mai-ed with a very grave shake of his head. Two or three others who saw it shook their heads too. Wishing to test him, I brought up a bar of iron, and made another tender of both knife and iron. But he shook his head still more decidedly, and turned away as if to put a stop to further bantering on the sub- ject. We were at a loss to know whether it was a souvenir, — the image of some dead child, or an object of religious reverence. Finally the captain pointed across the ice-field, where the bear was sitting crouched on the margin of it, and said, '' Ken-oo7c." At that they all looked, and, espying him, gave vent to a series of cries and shouts. Six of them Immediately dropped into their kayaks and set off after him. teaching the ice, they landed, and pulled the canoes on to it. Then, taking their harpoons, they divided into three parties of two each. One of these went straight across toward the bear ; the second followed round the edge of the field to the right, the third to the left. The bear must have been pretty severely wounded by our six-ounce bullet, I think; for he paid no attention to their approach till r: ■ i .; I 100 LEFT ON LABRADOR. tlioy wore witliin four or five rods, when he made a fee- ble attempt to get past them. Tliey rushed up to liim ■without the slightest hesitation; and despatched him in a twinkling. \ foo- liin 1 iu CHAPTER yil. The Husky Belles. — We-ice and Cnuhvick. — "/}?;&," she said. — All rromenadc. — Candy at a Discount. — ^•I'iUitay. pilfituy!" — Old Tnill and the Husky Matron. — Gorgeous Gifts. — Adieu to the Arctic Beauties. NONE of their women had come off witli them ; and, while the party that liad gone after the bear were "busy skinning it, Racd bronght np a roll of flannel, with half a dozen knives, and, holding them up, pointed oft' to the mainland, and said, '^ Ilenne-lai/y Whereupon they fell to JieJi-heh-ing afresh, witli cries of " I'jion, igloo ! " Kit pointed to our boat, hanging from the davits at the stern, and then off to the shore, to inquire whether we should send it for them ; but they shook their heads, and cried, "Oomiak, oomiak/'^ " Do they mean for us to take the schooner up there ? " asked the captain. Raed pointed to the deck, and then off to the shore, in- quiringly. No, that was not it; though they still cried " Oomiak .■"' pointing off to the shore. " Oomiak is a boat of their own, I guess," said Kit ; "different from the kaijak. They called 'The Curlew' ooviiak-sook, you know." 101 V si V. 102 li:ft on laiuiador. "Tell them to bring some of their children along too,'' said "Wade. " Well, what'ri the word for child?" Raed inquired. "We none of us knew. " Try pappoose,^'' suggested the captain. ^^ Fai)po<)i^e^'' said Ilued, pronouncing it distinctly, and pointing off as before. ^^ Hennc-lay — pappoose." ]>ut they only looked blank. Pappoose was evidently a new word for them. We then resortc ' to various ex- pedients, such as holding our hands kn -high and hip- liigli ; but the requisite gleam of intelligence could not bo inspired. So, with another repetition of the word hentie- laij, we started oiF a delegation of eight or nine after tho female portion of the settlement. While they were gone, the six who had gone to slaugh- ter the bear came back, bringing the hide and a consid- erable quantity of tho meat. Bits were distributed among the crowd, and eaten raw and reeking as if a deli- cacy. We chymoad the bear-skin from them for a bar of iron. In about an hour a great ta-yar-r-r-ing from tho shoreward bespoke the embarkation of the ladies; and, with our glasses, we could make out a large boat coming off, surrounded by kayaJ^'s. "That's the oomiak" said Kit. " Looks like quite a barge." " Don't lose your hearts now," laughed the captain. "Should hate to have an elopement from my ship here." "I think Wade is in the most danger," said E,acd. " lie's very susceptible to Northern beauties. We must have an eye to him." I.KFr UN I.AIJIIADOR. ion a In. lip 1st "Bow.aro, "Wade ! " cried Kit. " Don't ho k'J asfrjiy ! Stei'l yowv lioart ngjiinst the soductivo diarms of tlieso Iluislvy belles ! Ivemcniber lu)\v the iK^pes of your family are centred! AVliat would your mother say? Your father would be sure to disinherit you ! How vould your sisters hear it ?" "Hold on, fellows!" exelaimedWad(>. "This isn't quite fair, nor honorable, — making fun of ladies behind their backs." at "liight, sir!" cried Raed. "Spoken like a true son of the South ! Ah ! you did always outrank us in gal- lantry. No discount on it. Had your heads been as true as your hearts, the result might have been different. But lierc come the hidies. We must do our prettiest to please 'em, or we are no true knights. By the by, we resemble the wandering knight-errants not a little, I fear." "Only their object was adventure, while ours is sci- ence," added Kit. "Scientific knights!" laughed Wade. "Well, the world moves ! " The oomiaJc was now within fifty yards. ^* Let's give 'era a salute ! " exclaimed Kit. "Roll the ball out of the howitzer ! " " Oh ! I wouldn't ; it may scare 'em," said Raed. "No, it won't. Where's a match ?" Bang went old brassy out of the stern. It did startle them, I fancy. Something very much like a feminine screech rose in the ooniiak. It was quickly hushed up, though, with no fainting, but any quantity of heh-heh-uig and yeh-yeh-ing from the fat bertiities. 11 ' SI 104 LEFT ON LAKRADOR. " Now give 'em two more from the muskets — two at a time — wlien they come umler the side ! " sliouted Kit. " Iloljbs, you and Don first ! E-eady ! — fire ! "- Crack, crack ! " Now AVeymouth and Corliss ! " Crack, crack ! " There ! I now consider their arrival properly cele- brated. And here they are under the bows ! Pipe tlie side for the ladies, captain ! " " Bless me ! " exclaimed Raed ; " how are we to get 'em aboard ? Can't climb a line, I don't expect." " Wouldn't do to give 'em the ratlines ! " exclaimed Kit; "might entangle their pretty feet. What's to be done, captain ? " "I — give — it — up ! " groaned Capt. Mazard. " Hold ! I have it: the old companion-stairs, — the ones we had taken out. They are stowed away down in the hold." "Just the thing!" cried Raed; "the very essence of gallantry ! " "Corliss, Bonney, and Ilobbs," shouted the captain, " bear a hand at those old stairs, — quick ! Don't keep ladies waiting!" The old stairs were liurried up, and let down from the side. The captain stood ready with a stout line, which he whipped around the top rung, and then made fast to the bulwarks. " That'll hold 'cm," said he. The oomiak was tlien brought up close, and the foot of tlie stairs set inside the gunwale. The oomiak was about twenty-seven feet in length by six in width. Like the kai/akSf it was covered with seal-skin ; or perhaps ^t might have been the hide of the walrus. The IVamework f V' I LKFT ON LABRADOR. 105 >op of hut tlic ;t was couipo.sed uf botli bone and wood tied and laslied tog(;tlier. This was tlio women's boat, and was rowed by them. Tho only man in it was a liideous, wrinkled old savage, who sat in the stern to steer. "Two, four, six, eight, ten, twelve, and an odd one," counted E,a';d. " Invite 'em up, captain." Capt. Mazard got up on the bulwarks with a line in his hand, and, holding it down over the stairs, began to bow and malce signs to tlunn to come up. Perhaps they had not intended to actually come on board; or perhaps, like their fairer sisters in other lands, tlic}'" wanted to bo coaxed a little. At first they discreetly hesitated, glan- cing alternately up at us, then round to their swarthy countrymen in the kai/aks. The most of them were seemingly young. There was but one really ugly face ; while four or five were evidently under fifteen. The women were not quite so swarthy and dark as the men, and wore their hair longc-r. Several of them had it pugged up behind. The captain and llaed now redoubled their gestures of invitation. The Esquimau men on board also began to jabber to them ; at whit;h, first two, then another, and another, stood up, and vith broad smiles essayed to mount the stairs. Kit was standing close to me. " Xow, which are the prettiest ones?" he whlspored. " Which are the belles ? Let's you and I secure the belles away from Raed and Wade. Those two back in tl 10 ' '> stern ;i<'xt to old ghoul-fuce — how do those strik"! you? Aren't those the beauties? They've got on the prettiest fur, anyway. Only look at those white gloves The two Kit had pointed out were, as well as we could judge, the faircsf of the bevy. ^ 106 LEFT ON LAIillADOR. [' ' I; ■' I HI "I believe Wirle's got his eye on one of tliem ! " mut- tered Kit. '' We'll oust him, though. Crowd along sharp when those two con;e up. Elbow Wade out of the way. I'll push against you, and we'll squeeze him up against the rail." The others followed the first two, coming up the steps, talcing the captain's hand, and jumping off the rail to the deck. Our two came last. "Xow's our time !" exclaimed Kit; and, making a bold push, we got in ahead of the unsuspecting Wade, who immediately saw the sell, and turned away in great disgust. " I'll pay you for that ! " muttered he. I)U^, having got face to face with the fur-clad damsels, we were not a little perplexed how to make their acquaint- ance ; for they were staring at us with their small black eyes very round and ^ vondering. "Try a great long smile," said Kit. We saiiled very hard and persistently for some sec- onds. It seemed to mollify their wonder somewhat. "Keep it up," K.c adv'sed : " that'llbring 'em." We kept it up, smiling and buwing and nodding as gayly as we could; and wore presently rewarded by see- ing faint reflections of our grins on their dusky faces, which rapidly deepened into as broad* a smile as I ever beheld. They had very tolerably wide mouths, with large white teeth. Having got up a smile, we next es- sayed to- shake hands with them according to good old Xew-England cnstom. Their white gloves were of some sort of bird-skin, 1 think, and tilted — well, I've seen kid gloves worn that didn't lit a whit belter. How to com- N LEFT ON LABRADOR. 107 as loc- us, rer lith |es- )ld iir, 'J Idd lui- mence a conversation was not so easy ; since we knew not more than a dozen words of tlieir language, and could not frame these into sentences. So we began by making them each a present of a jack-knife. These were accepted with a great deal of broad smiling. Kit then showed them how to open the knives. At that one of the girls reached down to her boot; and, thrusting her hand into the log of it (for their boots had remarkably large legs, coming up to the knee, and even higher), she fished out a little bone implement about four inches long, and resembling a harpoon. Near the centre of it was a tiny hole, in which there was knotted a bit of fine leath- ern string. It was plain that she meant to give it to one or the other of us. Kit held out his hand for it with a bow. " Klna ? " he asked, taking it. (" What ii it ? ") " Tar-suh^'' said the girl. " Tar-suk-ajjali-pee-o-mee- wanfja;'^ which was plain, to be sure. Meanwhile the other was industriously fumbling in her boot, and pretty quick drew out a bone image repre- senting a fox, as I have always supposed. This was for me. «A7«a.^" lasked. " Bossult" was the reply. This was also pierced with a hole through the neck ; and, on my hooking it to my watch-guard, the other girl fell to laughing at her companion, who also laughed a lit- tle confusedly, and with a look, which, in a less dusky maiden, might have been a blush. Just what impor- tance they attach to these trinkets and to the wearing of them we could merely guess at. 108 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ^;^ " L wonder wliat tlioir names are," said Kit. " IIow can wo liiul out ? Would tliey understand by our using the word klna, do you suppose ? " "Try it." Kit then pointed to tlie one who was talking with me, and said '''A7/ia " to the other. She did not seem to understand at first : but, on a repetition of the question, replied, " We-ivc; " at wliieh her companion looked sudden- ly around. Then tlicy talked with each other a moment. We-we, as I afterwards learned, meant ivhite goose. I then put the same question to JVe-ivc, pointing to the other. " Cauhulck," she replied. Just then Wade passed us ; and, lo ! he had a white- gloved damsel on his arm, promenading along the deck as big as life. "What's her name?" cried Kit. " Jkewna," he replied over his shoulder. How he had found out he would never tell us ; per- haps in the same manner we had done. " I declare, Wade's outdoing us ! " exclaimed Kit. "But we can promenade too." I then pointed to Wade and Ikewna, and then to We- we and myself, offering my arm. "Ahb/^ she said ; and we started off. Kit and Cauhvlck followed. After all, walking with an Esquimau belle is not so very different from walking with a Yankee girl : only I fancy it must have looked a .littl(! odd; for, as I have already stated, they wore long- legged boots with very broad tops coming above the knee, silver-furred seal-skin breeches, and a jacket of I I :| -. - f^ >*■ •*,..•■ »!'-j- ■'■v'.- lith ing d a tho of .!if?*.. ««-ajuh,'' Sujfi aAii>. «X ^-*,.J.,-. >^ittf* i^ieir T)ia:n«K are/' saicl Kit. *" t[ow c; ^V ' uiulerstiiid by our uaing t] it. «» ».rf, do yen KUpposju ? " Ivil then jK'ink'd to the onn who was talking ^v■itll mn, ajad «;ild ^.Kma'' to tlio ot]it>r. >She d-d not seeiu to miderstand at iii-st: but, on a rfpotitiou of tlie i^ms-liotit replied, '' We-we; " at which hercompn.nioji lookud .sudden- ly arouiul. Thf'Ai they talkoa\Yith"i,'uc]i othei a inotuei.t, Wc-we, aa 1 afterwards h-'arned, meant white goose. I then put tlie same quetition to ill o-'/ry, pointing to tiie other. " Cmihvkh,*^ she replied. . Ju-St tlion Wade. pii.si?cd U3 ", and, Jo ! he "had n, whito- g' ■ ' ' "^ awu, prooienadiiig along the deck a T * t "%- Ncla'mc'd Kit. haps in the same ttiassKv. "I dedare, Wade*8 ou;.. _, **I>ut we can pyomeuade too." J then pointed to Wade and Ikcwna^ and then to IfVt ^ps «^fing above tho knee, Hilvcr-fiarttMi »<;«J*»kii» i;imK:hos, and a jacket of ^g with svalking ■Iji- It to - oil, tin- I • Jtv- ec k irh liO I Abb," Su£ saio. m LEFT ON LAP.RADOR. 109 •■ I white liaro-skiii (tlio polar liarc) C(1}^(3(1 with tlic clown of tho eider-duck. Tliese jiiclcots had at least one veiy peculiar feature : that was nothing less than a tail ahout four inches broad, and reaching within a foot of tho ground. I have no doubt they were in style: still they did look a little singular, to say the least. Meanwhile the others were not idle spectators, judg- ing from the loud talking, yeh-yeh-lng, and unintelligible lingo, that resounded all about. We saw Haed paying the most polite attentions to a very chubby, fat girl with a black fur jacket and yellow gloves. "What name?" demanded Kit as we promenaded I)ast. " Piissay,^^ replied Eaed, trying to look very sober. The word j^ussay means a seal ; and in this case the name was not much misplaced. We-we (white goose) was, to my eye, decidedly the prettiest of the lot; Cauh- vick came next ; and, as we promenaded past Wade, we kept boasting of their superior charms as compared with Ikeivna. Our two both wore white jackets ; while Wade's wore a yellow one, of fox-skin. " How about refreshments ! " cried Wade at length. "We ought to treat them ; hadn't we ? " " That's so," said Eaed. " Captain, have the good- ness to call Palmleaf, and bid him bring up a box of that candy." The captain came along. " Didn't you see the rumpus ? " he asked. "Rumpus?" "Yes; when Palmleaf came on deck just after tho women came on board. They were afraid of him. He m i 110 LEFT ON LABRADOR. came poking his Lluck lioad up out of the foroeastlo, and rolliu'jc liis oyos al)out. If ho had boi-n tlio Do\i\ liini- Self, tlioy couldn't have acted more seared. I had to send liim below out of sight, or thore would have been a general stampede. The men arc afraid of him. I don't understand exactly why they should be." None of us did at the time ; but we learned subse- quently that the Esquimnux attribute all their ill luck to a certain fiend, or demon, in the form of a huge black man. Wo have, therefore, accounted for their strange fear and aversion to the negro on that ground. Tliey thought he was the Devil, — their devil. So Ilobbs brought up the candy. Eaed passed it round, giving each of our visitors two sticks apiece. This was plainly a new sort of treat. They stood, each holding the candy in their hands, as if uncertain to what use it was to bo put. Eaed then set them an example by biting off a chunk. At that they each took a bite. We expected they would be delighted. It was therefore with no lit- tle chagrin that we beheld our guests making up the worst possible faces, and spitting it out anywhere, everywhere, — on deck, against the bulwarks, overboard, just as it happened. The most of them immediately threw away the candj'; though We-ive and CaubvicA', out of consideration for our feelings perhaps, quietly tucked theirs into their boot-legs. There was an awk- ward pause in the hospitalities. Clearly, candy wouldn't pass for a delicacy with them. "Try 'em with cold boiled beef!" exclaimed the captain. Luckily, as it occurred, Palmleaf had lately boiled up 4 LEFT ON LABIIADOR. Ill I't lie P quite a quantii"}'. Tt was cut up in small piooos, and distributed among them ; and, at tlio captain's sugj-^es- tion, raw fat pork was given tlie men. Tliis latter, how- ever, was much too salt for them : so that, on the whole, our refrcishments were a failure. It is doubtful if they liked the cooked meat lialf so well as they did the raw, reeking flesh of the bear. By way of making up for the candy failure, we gave them each two comuion tenpenuy nails, and two sticks of hard-wood the size we burned in the stove. With these presents they seemed very well pleased, particu- larly with the wood. But, on finding we were disposed to give, the most of them were not at all modest about asking for more. A general cry of "Pillltai/'^ ("Give me something") arose. AVe gave them another stick of wood all round ; at which their cries were redoubled. In short, they treated us very much as some earnest Christians do the Lord, — asked for every thing they could think of Old Trull was especiall}'^ pestered by one woman, who stuck to him with a continuous whine of ^'Filllta)/, piUitay!^^ lie had already given her his jack-knife, and now borrowed it to cut off several of the brass buttons on his jacket. But so far was she from being satisfied with this sacrifice, that she instantly began pillaythirj for the rest of them. The old man thought that this was carrying the thing a little too far. " Ye old jade ! " he exclaimed, out of all patience. " Ye'd beg me stark naked, I du believe ! " But still the woman with outstretched hand cried "Plllltay!^^ Finally the old chap In pure desperation caught out his tobacco to take a chew. Eying her a ll'J LKIT ON LAHRADOR. inointuif, Tin l)it it off, and put tlio rest in hor hand with a jn;riin s)uih'. Tlu' woiaan, following his oxamplo, forth- with hit oil' a j)i('(M>, and (dunvod at it for a few soeonds, Hwallmving tho saliva; then turned away sick and vomit- ing. Sho didn't pillltajf liim any more. To tlie honor of niaidonliood, I may achi that We-tvp, Cauhokk, Ikciviia, and FiiMsaij wore exceptions to tho general rule of heggaiy. Tliey asked us for nothing. Something seemed to restrain them : perhaps the atten- tions we had shown them. Be that as it may, they fared the hotter for it. Wade led off hy giving IkcwiKV a hroad, highly-colored worsted scarf, which he wrapped in folds ahout her fox-jackef, covering it entirely, and giving her a very distingiL'e look. Not to oc hehind, Kit and 1 ^-ive to We-ioe and Cauhvlck three yards of hright-red flaim.- ^ ■ '^o ; also a red-and-hlack silk hand- kerchief each to wear over their shoulders, and two massive (pinchhock) hreast-pins. These latter articles did make their little piercing black eyes sparkle amaz- ingly. How long tijey weald have staid on board, Heavcai only knows, — n-li ;~unimer, perhaps, — had not the captain given orders to have the scliooner brought round. Tlio moment the vessel began to move, they were seized with a panic, lest they should be carried off from home. The men were over into their kayaks instantly. Having got rid of them, " The Curhnv" was again hove to, while the oomiak was broucjht under the stairs. We bade a hasty farewell to the Husky belles, and handed them into their barge. On the whole, we were not much sorry to be rid of them ; for though they were human beings, LKFT ON LAr.KADOR. 113 ain The witli Tho 'ing liile a and sonic of tlio yonng gii-ls not williont tlii'ir attrac- tions, yet it was humanity in a very crudo, raw stato. In a word, tlioy were .savages, destitute to a hunentahlo extent of all those finer fe(:lings and sentiments which characterize a civilized race. The roughest of our Glou- cester lads were inimeasurahly in advance of them ; and ]*ahnleaf, but recently a lash-fearing slave, seemed of a higher order of beings. They were gone ; but they had left an o(h)r behind. We had to keep I'ahnleaf burning coffee on a shovel all the rest of the evening; and, for more than a month after, we could Muell it at times, — a ''sweet souvenir of our Husky beauties," as AVade used to put it. There is something at once hopeless and pitiful about this people. There is no possibility of permanently bettering their condition. ]>orn and living under a climate, which, from the gradual shitting of the pole, must every year grow more and more severe, they can but sink lower and lower as the struggle for exist- ence grows sharper. There is no hope for them. Their absurd love of homo 'precludes the possil,)ility of their emigrating to a warmer latitude. IMtlful ! because, wherever the human life-spark is enkindled, his must be a hard heart that can see it sufiering, dying, without pity- 8 igs, I i i CHAPTER VIII. Tlie Husky Chief. — Palmleaf Indifrnnnt. — A Gun.— Sudden Apparition of the Company's Ship. — We liold a Hasty Council. — In the Jaw.-* of tlie British I.ion. — An Armed I$oat. — Repel Boarders! —Red-Face waxes wrathful. — Fired on, but no Bones broken. BY tho time wo liad fairly jnirtcd from «.iir Esqui- mau friends it was near eleven o'clock, p.m., — after sunset. Instead of standing out into the straits, we beat up for about a mile along the ice-field, and anchored in thirteen fathoms, at al)Out a cable's leno'th from the island, to the east of the ice-island. The weather had held fine. The roadstead between the island and the main was not at present much choketl with ice. It was safe, to all appearance. We wanted rest. Turring out at three and half-past three in the morning, and not getting to bunk till eleven and twelve. made an unconsci one of think tain stirred us up to breakfast. onable long day. Once asleep. I don't boys waked or turned over till the caj;.- u ►^ix o'clock, bo3's ! " cried he. " Sun's been up these four 1 lours f" " Don't talk about the sun in this latitude," yawned Eaed. "I can sit up with him at Boston; but he's too much i'oY me here 114 }} >t {A:vy ox LAr,i:Ai)()i,'. 115 The the okcni iitod the '1 ve, • car Iheso too Wliilo wo were at bixiakfast, Wcyinoutli came down to report a Jiai/ak coining ofT. "Shall we let liim come aboard, sir?" " Oil, j'es ! " said the captain. "Let's have him .down to breakfast with us for the nonce ! " cried Kit. " Ilere, Palmleaf, set an extra plate, and bring another cup of cofloe." "And see that jou keep out of sight," lauglK-d the captain : " the Huskies don't much like the looks of }} you "I tink I'se look as well as doy do, sar!" exclaimed the indignant cook. " So do I, ralmlcaf," said Eaod ; " but then opinions diffcir, you know. These Escpiimaux are nothing but savages. >j "Dey're bcrrj- ill-mannered fellars, sar, to make do best of dem. I wouldn't hev 'em roun', sar, stinkiu' up de ship." "I don't see that they smell much worse than a pack 0? niggert'i," remarked AVade provokingly^ at which the darky went back to the galley muttering. " AVade, some of these big negroes will pop j-ou over one of these days," said Kit. " Well, I expect it ; and who'll be to blame for that ? We had them under good control : you marched your hired Canadians down among us, and set them " free," as you say; which means that you've turned loose a class of beings in no way fit to be free. The idea of letting those ignorant niggers vote ! — why, they are no more fit to have a voice in the making of the la\\s than so many hogs ! You have done us a great wrong in setting 116 LEFT ON LAP.RADOR. I them free : you've turned loose amonj^ \\h a horde of the most indolent, insolent, lustful beasts that ever made a hell of earth. You can't look for social harmony at the hJouth ! Why, we are obliged to go armed to protect our lives ! No hidy is safe to walk half a mile unat- tended. I state a fact when i t'ay that my mother and my sisters do not dare to walk about our plaM*;.tion even, for fear of those brutish m groes." "I think you take a rather one-sided view, y. ide," said llaed. *' It's the only side I can see." " Perhaps ; but there is another side, nevertheless." Here a tramping on the stairs was heard, and Wey- mouth came down, followed by a large Esquimau. "He's been trying to mal^e out to us that he's the chief, boss, sachem, or whatever they call it, oi' the crowd that was aboard yesterday," said AVeymoulh. " What does he want? " the captain asked. " Wants to cliijnioy Haed nuide signs for him to sit down in the clniii' iifc the table and eat with us ; which, alter some liesitation, he did rather awkwardly, and with a great kjioeking of his feet against the chairs. He had on a gorgeous l»ear- skin jacket, with the hood ilrawn over his head. His face was large ; liis nose small, and nearly lost between the fat billows of his cheeks ; liis eyes were nuich drawn \\\) at the corners, and very far apart ; and his mouth, a ver; wide one, was fringed about with slilV, straggling blai \\ bristles. The cast of his counteiKiiiee was decidedly repul- sive. Kit outIc signs for him to drink Iiis (•■•flee ; but he merely eyed it suspiciously. I *')ea lielped him to a LEFT ON LABRADOR. 117 a heavy spoonful of musliod potatoes. ITo looked at it a wliilc; then, seeing us eating of it, phmged in liis lin- gers, and, taking up a wad, thrust it into his mouth, luit iuunediately spat it out, with a broad laugli, all over his plate and over the other dishes, and kept spitting at random. "De nasty dog!" ejaculated Palmleaf, rushing for- ward from the galhsy : " spit all oher de clean plates ! " The savage turned his eye upon the black, and, with a horrible shout, sprang up frrui his chair, nearly up;;et- ting the tabli^-slielf, and made a bolt for the stairway. AVc called to him, aiul followed as quickly as we could: but, before we were fairly on deck, he was over into his kaijal,-, plying his i)addle as if for dear lifej and the more we called, the faster ho dug to it. Suddenly, as we were looking after him and laughing, the heavy report of cannon sounded from the southward. Looking around, we saw a large ship coming to bcdow the islands, at a distance of about three miles. A thrill of ap[)rehension stole over us. AVilhout a word, we went for our glasses. It was a large, stanch-looking ship, well manned, from tho a[)pearance of her deck. As we were looking, the English Hag went up. We had expected as much. "It's one of the Hudson-bay Company's ships," re* marked Kaed. '' Of course," said Kit. "Not likely to be any thing else," said the captain. " I suppose you're aware that those fellows nuiy take a notion to have us accompany them to Loudon," re- marked liaed. 118 LEFT ON LABRAPOK. "If tliey Ccan catcli us," Kit iuldL-d. Persons ctiui^lit trading witli tlie natives within tlie limits of the Hudson-bay Company's chartered territory are liable to be seized, and carried to London for trial,'' continued Raed. "It's best to keep that point well in Vi ' N^obody would suppose that, in this age, the old beel- ds would have the cheek to try to enforce such a rlgJtt against Americans, citizens of the United States, who ought to have the in.-ide track of every thing on this continent. Still ihey may." " It will depend somewhat on the captain of the vessel — what sort of a man he is," said Kit. "He may bo one of the high and mighty sort, full of overgrown notions of the company's authority." Another jet of wliite smoke puffed out from the side of the ship, followed in a few seconds by another dull hang. " We'll stand by our colors in any case," remarked Capt. Hazard, attaching our Hag to the signal halliards. llaed and Kit ran to hoist it. Up it went to the peak of the bright-yellow mast, — the bonny bright stars and stripes. " All hands weigh anchor ! " ordered Capt. INIazard. " Load the howitzer ! " cried Kit. " Let's answer their gun in coin ! " '■ While we were loading, the schooner was brought round. Wade must have got in a preti y heavy charge ; for the report was a stunner. " Load again," said Kit; " and put in a ball this time. Let's load the rifle too." LEFT ON LABRADOR. 119 The captain turned and regarded us doubtfully, tlien looked off toward the ship. '* The Curlew" was driving lazily forward, and, crossing the channel between the ioland under which we had been lying and the ice-field, l)assed slowly along the latter at a distance of a hundred and fifty or two hundred yards. We thus had the ice- island between us and the possibly hostile ship. With our glasses we now watched her movements attentively. A number of officers were on the quarter-deck. " You don't call that a ship-of-war ? " Wade said at length. " Oh, no ! " replied the captain ; " though it is prob- ably an armed ship. All the company's ships go armed, I've heard." "There!" exclaimed Kit. "They're letting down a boat ! " " That's so ! " cried Wade. " They're going to pay us a visit sure ! " " They probably don't want to trust their heavy-laden ship up here amoug the islands," said the captain. " It's their long-boat, I think," sai*! Kit. " One, two, three, four, five! — why, tiiere are not less than fifteen or twenty men in it ! And see there ! — weapons ! " As the boat pulled away from the side, the sun Hashed brightly from a dozen gleaming blades. " Cutlasses ! " exclaimed Eaed, turning a little pale. I am ready to confess, that, for a moment, I felt as weak as a rag. The vengeful gleam of tlie light on hostile steel is apt, I think, to give one such a feeling the first time he sees it. Thy captain stood leaning on the rail, with the glass to his eye, evidently at his wit;i' i m ■ 'IT 120 LEFT ON LABRADOR. end, and in no little trepidation. Very likely at tliat nioniont ho wished our expedition had gone to Jeri- cho before ho had undertaken it. Eaed, I think, was the first to rally his courage. I pre^^^ume he had thought more on the subject previously than the rest «. us had done. The sudden appearance of the ship had therefore taken him less by surprise than it did us. " It looks as if they were going to board us — if we let them," ho said quietly. " That's the way it looks j isn't it, captain ? " "I should say that it did decidedly," Capt. Mazard replied. '•' IJoys ! " exclaimed Raed, looking round to us, and to the sailor:-'- who had gathered about us in some anxiety, — "boys ! if Ave h't those fellows yonder board us, in an hour we sliall all be close prisoners, in irons i>erhaps, and down in the hold of that ship. We shall be carried out to Fort York, kept there a mouth in a dungeon likely as any way, tlien sent to England to be tried — for daring to sail into Hudson Bay and trade with the Es(piimaux ! AVhat say, boys ? — shall we let them come aboard and take us ? " " Xo, sir ! " cried Kit. "Not much!"' exclaimed Donovan. "We'll fight first ! " "Capt. Mazard," continued Tlaed, "I'm really sorry to have been the means of placing you in such a predica- ment. 'The Curlew' will undoubtedly bo condemned if seized. They would cla[) a prize-crew into her the first thing, and start her for England. But there's no need of giving her up to them. That's not a ship-of- i LEFT ON LABRADOR. 121 at tluifc to Jeri- I tliink, ; liu luid e rest ^ sliip had us. — if wo it looks J Mazard s, and to anxiety, us, in an perhaps, e carried dungeon tried — with the em como '11 fight sorry to prediea- .denmed her tlie ere's no ship-oi- : . ;-* war. "We've got arms, and can fight as well as they. We can beat off that boat, I'll be bound to say: and as for their ship, I don't believe they'll care to take her up here between the islands ; and if they do, — why, we can sail away from them. But, for my own part, I had rather fight, and take an even chance of being killed, than bo taken prisoner, and spend five months beiow decks." " Fight it is, then ! " exclaimed the captain doggedly. By this time the boat was pulling up the channel to the north of tlie ice-field, within a mile of us. " We might crowd sail, and stand away to the north of the islands here," I argued. " Yes ; but we don't know how this roadstead ends farther on," replied Baed. '' It may be choked up with ice or small islets," said Kit. " In that case we shoidd run into a trap, where they would only have to follow us to be sure of us. We might abandon the schooner, and get ashore ; but that would be nearly as bad as being taken prisoner — on this coast." "Here's clear sailing round this ice-field," remarked the captain. " My plan is to keep their shi[) on the op- l)osite o/ it from us. If they give chase, we'll sail round it." "But how about their boat ? " demanded Wade. " We must beat it off! " exclaimed the captain deter- minedly. " Then we've not a moment to lose ! " cried Baed. — "Here, Donovan! helj) me move the howitzer to the stern. — Kit, you and Wash and Wade got up the mus- kets and load them. Bring up the cartridges, and get caps and every thing ready." 14 % 122 LEFT ON LABRADOR. The howitzer wont rattling into the storn, and wn3 pointed out over the taifrail. Tlio iTJg rifle followed it. To the approaching boat their muzzles mu^t have looked a trifle grim, I fancy. Matches and splints were got ready, as well as wads and balls. The muskets were charged, and the bayonets fixed. The schooner was kept moving gradually along at about the same distance from the ice. Bonney was stationed at the wheel, and Corliss at the sheets. Old Trull stood by the howitzer. The rest of us toe. .». each a musket, and formed in line along the after-bulwarks. Pahnleaf, who in the midst of these martial preparations had been enjoying a pleasant after- breakfast snooze, was now called, and bade to stand by Corliss at the sheets. His astonishment at the sight which the deck presented to his lately-awakened optics was very great ; the greater, that no one would take the troulde to answer his anxious questions. The boat had now come up to within a quarter of a mile. With cutlasses flashing, and oars dipping all to- gether, they came closing in with a long, even stroke. "We don't want them much within a hundred yards of us/' said Capt. Mazard in a low tone. "I'll hail them," replied Eaed, taking the speaking- trumpet, which the captain had brought along. The crisis was close at hand. AVe clutched the stocks of our rifles, and stood ready. There was, I am sure, no blenching nor flinching from the encounter which seemed imminent. We could see the faces of the men in the boat, the red face of the officer in the stern. The men were armed with carbines and broad sabres. They had come wiihin easy hail. LEFT ON LABRADOR. 123 .s» *' Present arms I " commanded Capt. Mazard in clear tones. Eight of us, with our rifles, stood fast. " Ivopcl hoarders / " Instantly we dropped on one knee, and brought our pieces to bear over the rail, the bayonets flashing as brightly as their own. " lioat ahoy ! " sliouted Ilaed through the trumpet. "Ahoy yourself!" roared the red-faced man in the stern. "What ship is that, anyway?" This was rather insulting talk : noverthcless, Raed answered civilly and promptly, — "The schooner-^^acht 'Curlew' of Portland." "Where bound? What are you doing here?" " Bound on a cruise into Hudson l>ay ! " responded E-aed coolly ; "for scientific purposes," he added. " Scientific devils ! " blustered the officer. " You can't fool us so ! You're in here on a trading-voyage. AVo saw a I'di/ak go off from you not an hour ago." Xot caring to bandy words, EaiMl made no reply ; aiul wo knelt there, with our muskets covering them, in silence. They had stopped rowing, and were falling be- hind a little; for "The Curk'w " ploughed leisurely on. "'Why don't you heave to?" shouted tlu,' irate com- mander of the boat. " I must look at your papers ! Heave to while I come alongside ! " " You can't bring that armed boat alongside of this schooner !" replied Ilaed. "No objections to your ex- amining our papers ; but we're not green enough io let you bring an armed crew aboard of us." "Then we shall come without lettlurj ! Give way there ! " I If 124 LEFT ON LABRADOR. But his raon hesitated. The sight of our musketa, and old Trull hohling a blazing splinter over the liowit- zer, was a little too much even for the sturdy pluck of English sailors. " Jh'ing that boat another length nearer," shouted llaod slow and distinctly, " and we shall open fire on you ! " " The devil you will ! " " Yes, we will ! " At that we all cocked our muskets. The sharp click- ing was, no doubt, distinctly audible in the boat. The ollicor thundered out a torrent of oaths and abuse ; to all of which llaod made no reply. They did not advance, however. We meant business; and I guess they thought so. Our stubborn silence was not misconstrued. " How do I know that you're not a set of pirates ? " roared the Englishman. " You look like it ! But wait till I get back to ' Tbe Rosamond,' and I'll knock some of the impudence out of you, you young filibusters! " Aj d with a parting malediction, which showed wonderful ingenuity in blasphemy, he growled out an order to back water ; when the boat was turned, and headed for the ship. " Give 'em three cheers ! " said Kit. AVhereupon we jumped up, gave three and a big groan ; at which the red face in the stern turned, and stared long and evilly at us. " Xo wonder he's mad ! " exclaimed Raod. " Had to row clean round this ice-field, and now has got to row back for his pains ! Though the was going to scare us just about into fits. Got rather disagreeably disap- pointed." LEFT ON LAr.nADOR. 125 " lie was pretty well srt up, I take it," romavlced the captain. " Had probably taken a drop before coining otf. His men knew it. When ho gave the order to ' give way,' they hung back : didn't care about it." "They knew better," said Donovan. "We could iiave knocked every one of them on the head b(?fore tiny could have got up the side. It aiu't as if ' The Curlew ' was loaded down, and lay low in the water. It's about as much as a man can do to get from a boat up over tho bulwarks. They might have hit some of us with their carbines ; but they couldn't have boarded us, and they knew it." " You noticed what he said about knocking the impu- dence out of us ? " said Wade. " That means that wo shall hear a noise and have cannon-shot whistling about our ears, I suppose." " Shouldn't wonder," said Kit. " Have to work to hurt us much, I reckon," remarked the captain. " The distance across the ice-island hero can't be much under two miles and a half." " Still, if they've got a rifled Whitwortii or an Arm- str I do believe ! 5> U "Not so bad as that, I guess," said the captain. That heap of sand-ballast in the hold would stop it, I reckon." "Think so?" M\ ii 128 LEFT ON LABRADOR. "Oh, yes!" There was real comfort in that thought. It was therefore with diminished appreliensicfti that we saw a fourtli shot come roaring down a cable's length forward, and beyond tlie bows, and, a few seconds after, heard the dull boom following the shot. The report wa? always two or three seconds behind the ball. They fireJ three more of the " high ones," as Kit called them. None of these came any nearer than the fourth had done. Then they tried another at a less elevation, which struck on the ice-field, and came skip- ping along as the lirst had done ; but it fell short. " Old lled-face will have to give it up, I guess," said Kit. "He wanls to hit us awfullj'^, thougli ! If lie hadn't a loaded ship, bet you, we shoukl see him coming up the channel between the islands there, swearing like a piper." " In that case we w^nld just 'bout ship, and lead him on a chase round tliis ice-island till he got sick of it." remarked tlie captain. " ' The Curlew ' can give him- points, and outsail that great hulk anywliere." "He's euchred, and may as well go about his busi- ness," laughed Weymouth. " And that's just what he's concluding to do, T guess," said Dono\an, who had borrowed my glass for a mo- ment. " The ship's going round to the wind." " Yes, there she goes ! " exclaimed Wade. Possibly they may bear up tlirough the channel to a the west of the ice-island," said llaed. Hope he will, if he wants to," remarked Ca])t. Nothing would suit mo better than to race izi Ml with him. a jj mii TumriiSM LEFT ON LABRADOR. 120 was L\v a urd, the -.lys » ro fl I 111 fifteen or twenty minutes the ship was oif tlie entrance of tlie oluinnel ; but she held on her course, and had soon passed it. " Now that ohl fellow feels bad ! " laughed Kit. " How savage he will be for the next twenty-four hours ! I pity the sailors ! lie will have two or three of them 'spread- eagled ' by sunset to pay for this, the old wretch ! Ho looked just like that sort of a man." "I wonder what our Husky friends thouglit of this little bombardment!" exclaimed Wade, looking oif to- ward the mainland. "Don't see any thing of them." " Presume we sha'n't get that old ' sachem ' that saw Palmleaf to visit us again ^n a hurry," said Kit. We watched the ship going off' to the south-we&t for several hours, till she gradually sank from view. " Well, captain," said Eacd, " you are not going to ' let this adventure frighten you, 1 hope." " Oh, no ! I guess we can take care of ourselves. Only, in future, I think we had better keep a sharper lookout, not to let another ship come up within three miles without our knowing it." It was L.OW afU four o'clock, p.m. Not caring to follow too closely L'ter the company's ship, we beat back to our anchorage of the previous evening, and anchored for the night. Saw nothing more of the Esquimaux ; and, early the next morning, sailed out into the straits, and continued on during the whole day, keeping the mountains of the mainland to the northward well in sight at a distance of eight or ten miles, and occasionally sighting higli is- lands to the soutli of the straits. 9 i'A h. iJ ^^mmmm 130 LEFT ON LABRADOR. By five o'clock, afternoon, we wore off a tliirJ group of islands on the north side, known as the " Upper Savage Isles." During the evening and night we passed them a few miles to the south, — a score of black, craggy islets. Even the bright light of the wan- ing sun could not enliven their utter desolation. Drear, oh, how drear ! with their thunder-battered peaks rising abruptly from the ocean, casting long black shadows to the eastward. Many of them were mere tide- washed ledges, environed by ice-fields. About nine o'clock, evening, the ice-patches began to thicken ahead. By ten we were l)attering heavily among i:, with considerable danger of staving in the bows. The foresail was accordingly taken in, and double reefs put in the mainsail. The weather had changed, with heavy lowering clouds and a rapidly-falling thermometer. N(!vertlieless we boys turned in, and went to sleep. Experience was beginning to teach us to sleep when we could. The heavy rumble of thunder roused us. Bright, sudden flashes gleamed through the bull's-eyes. The motion of the schooner had changed. " "What's up, I wonder ? " asked Kit, sitting up on the side of his mattress. Another heavy thunder-peal burst, rattling overhead. Hastily putting on our coats and caps, we went on deck, where a scene of such wild and terrible grandeur pre- sented itself, that I speak of it, even at this lapse of time, with a shudder; knowinj 'O' adequate idea of it in words. I will not say that I am not glad to have witnessed it ; but 1 »liould not want to see it again. To the lovers of the awfully sublime, it If LFFT ON LABRADOR. 131 would have been worth a journey around the earth. Ifc soomed as if all the vast antagonistic forces of Nature had been suddenly confronted with each other. Tho schooner had been hove to in the lee of an ice-field en- girdling one of the smaller islets, with all sail taken in save tho jib. Weymouth was at the wheel ; the cap- tain stood near hira ; Hobbs and Donovan were in cho bow; IJonncy stood by the jib-halliards. On the port side the ice-field showed like a pavement of alabaster ou a sea of ink, contrasting wildly with the black, rolling clouds, which, like the folds of a huge shroud, draped the heavens in darkness. On the starboard, the heaving waters, black as night, were covered with pure white ice- cakes, striking and 1 vittering together with heavy grind- ings. The lightnings played against the inky clouds, forked, zigzag, and dazzling to the eye. The thunder- echoes, unmutHed by vegetation, were reverberated from bare granitic mountains and naked ice-fields with a hol- low rattle that deafened and appalled us ; and, in tho intervals of thunder, the hoarse bark of bears, and their aftrighted jjrowlings, were borne to our ears with savage distinctness. Mingled with these noises came the screams and cries of scores of sea-birds, wheeling and darting about. It was half-past two, morning. " What a fearfully grand scene ! " exclaimed Wade. And I recollect that we all laughed in his face, tho words seemed so utterly inadequate to express what, by common consent, was accorded unutterable. An hour later, the blackness of the heavens had rolled away to the westward, a fog began to rise, and morning light effaced the awful panorama of night. fflp 132 LEFT ON LABRADOR. By six o'clock tbe fog was so dense that nothing could be seen a half cable's length, and continued thus till afternoon, during which time we lay hove to under the leo of the ice. But by- two o'clock a smart breeze from the north lifted it. The schooner was put about, and, under close-reefed sailsj went bumping through the intermina- ble ice-patches wdiicli seem ever to choke these straits. The mountains to the northward showed white after the squalls of last night ; and the seals were leaping as briskly amid the ice-cakes as if the terrific scenery of the previous evening had but given zest to their un- wieldy antics. ik ! I MttMfittttfiBfiW CHAPTER IX. A Barren Shore, and a Strange Animal, which is captured hy blowing up Its Den. — Fulmleaf fulls in with the Esquimaux, and is chased by them. — " jTicaw-re .' " — '"A Close Shave." — An Attack threatened. — The Savages dispersed with the Howitztr. TO avoid the thick patches of heavy ico which were this afternoon driving out toward the Athintic, we bore lip quite near the mainland on the north side, and continued beating on, with the wind north all night, at the rate of — at a guess — two knots per hour. It was dull work. We turned in at twelve, and slept soundly till five, when the noisy rattling of the cable through the hawse aroused us. The wind had died out, and thoy had dropped the anchor in forty-three fathoms. It was a cloudy morning : every thing had a leaden, dead look. We were .about half a mile from the shore ; and after breakfast, having nothing better to do, fell to examin- ing it with our glasses. Shelving ledges rose up, terrace on terrace, into dark mountains, back two and three miles from the sea. The whole landscape seomod made up of water, granite, and ico. The black, leathern lich- ens added to the gloomy aspect of the shore-rocks, on whicli the waves were beating — fdrovor boating — with sullen plashings. Terrible must be the aspect of this 133 'm ^^i^^mMMHH'I iiih 134 LEFT ON LABRADOR. I , coast in winter. Kow tlic lumdrod.s of water-fowl wlieeling over it, and enlivening the crags with their cries, softened its grininess. Fartlier along the shore- ledges Kit presently espied a black animal of some kind, and called our attention to it. " Ho seems to be eating something there," said he. We looked at it. " It's not an Esquimau dog, is it ? " Wade asked. " Oh, no ! head don't look like a dog's," observed Kit. "Besides, their dogs are not so dark-colored as that." " This seems from here to be almost or quite black/' Eaed rerzarked ; " as black as Guard. Not quite so large, though." Wade thought it was fully as large. " If we were ift Maine, I should say it was a small black bear," said Kit ; " but I have never heard of a black bear being seen north of Hudson Straits." The head seemed to me to be too small for a bear. "Captain, what do you think of that animal?" Kit asked, handing him his glass. Capt. Hazard looked. " If it hadn't such short legs, I should pronounce it a black wolf," he replied. " It's too large for a fisher, isn't it ? I don't know that JisJiers are found so far north, either, llow is that ? " " Hearne, in his ' Northern Journey,' speaks of the fisher being met with, farther west, in latitude as far north as this," said I. " But that's too big for a fisher," said Haed ; " too thick and heavy. A Usher is slimmer." " Who knows but it may be a new species ! " exclaimed J 'I LEFT ON LABRADOR. 135 Kit, laughlnj?. "Now's a clianco to distingiiisn our- si'lvcs as naturalists ! If we can discover a new animal of that size in this- age of natural history, aure do nonso ought tor conic," muttcrtMl llic alVn)ntoil een after the n<\^ro. lijs^'ovMnng \\», tb«* front ono3 tried {o pull up J and, thos? behind rimning up, tbey vrerr all ctowdod together, shouting and screaming, and punching each other with their har]iK>ona. •*' Avasi there !" shoutM Donovan, flouriabing-his. oar. "Hdtl" ordered Wadp. ^^" •' mf^aibering a vford of EiHjnimauji, tiadc ' ' t. voice. thirty 01 loiiy iix : ■ "vfi-'j iooniei •^a- rily rushing m ixj:.: u- unuL i.iv uugjj too, tifty or sixty >i.t leavst calculation, — gnnvt, gaunt, woUisb, y(dlo^v cur.-'. — looked alniont as dangerous as tluir ma.«?ter!j. . '•' W } Hiu^t got out of this !.'■' t 'idaiinod Baed -, for they * •• • begin*;''' ' '> i"*'«'i'lu!i flu-if h.»c l4| LEFT ON LABRADOR. 145 Tlio tlirea muskets craclvcJ. A great ta-yar-v-r aiul scroei'liing followed the reports; under cover of which and the smoke we legged it for the l)oat, and, tumhh'ng in, were shoved liastiiy off by Weymouth. Before wo liad got twenty yards, liowever, the savages were on tlio Lank, yelling, and throwing stoiies, several of which fell in among us ; but we were soon out of their roach. "That's what I call a pretty close shave!" exclaimed Donovan, panting. " We couldn't have stood against them much longer," said Kit. "I didn't suppose they had so much ferocity about them. Those we saw down at the middle islands were kittenish enough." * "These may belong to a different tribe," replied E-aed. I'almleaf, completely exhausted, lay all in a heap in the bow. We pulled off to the schooner. The savages and their dogs kept up a confused medley of howls and shouts : it was hard distinguishing the human cries from the canine. Capt. Hazard and the men were leaning over the rail, waiting. They had been watching the fracas, and un- derstood it as little as we did. "What's the row?" demanded the captain as we came under the stern. " What's all that beastly noise about ? " " Ask Palmleaf," said Wade. " I saw you fire," continued the captain. " You didn't kill any of them, did you?" " Oh, no 1 " said Raed. " We fired high to frighten them." 10 f;!;t<1 \m 146 IKFT ON LABUADOR. "I'm gliul you didn't Ivill any of tlio poor wrotehos." "Tell us how it happcnod, Palinleaf," said Kit. " Did you come upon tbem ? or did they come upon yoii ? " I asked. " Why, I was gwine arter dat hawk, you know," said the African, still sober from his terror and his race. " Yes." "Ho was fell down ober behind de crag, as you said he*d be; but he flew up 'fore I'd gut near 'im, an' kep' fly in' np." " And you kept following him," added Eacd. " Well, what next ? How far did you go ? " " Oil ! I went a long ways. I meant ter fotch 'im." "Half a mile?" " Yes, sar ; should tink so," " Did you fire at the eagle ? " Kit asked. " Yes, sar: seed him settin' on a ledge, an' fired. Ho flew, and I chased arter him agin." " But how did you come to meet the Huskies ? " de- manded the captain. " Well, sar, I'se runnin' along, payin' all my 'tention to de hawk, when all ter once I come plump onto two ob dere wimin folks wid a lot ob twine tings in dero ban's." " Snaring birds," said Ilaed. " Go on ! " " Dey seed me, an' stud lookin', wid dere hair all ober dere faces." "That stopped you, I suppose?" said Wade. "I jest halted up a bit, an' cast my eye t'wurds dem." " You paid the most of your * 'tention ' to them, then ? " continued Wade maliciously. LEFT ON LABRADOR. 147 "Jest stopped a minit." "To say a word to them on your own account, I'll warriiiit." " Thought I'd jest speak an' tell dcm dey needn't bo sor 'fraid on me." " Shut up, Wade ! " interposed Kit. " Let him tell his story. What did the wouien do ? " " Dey turned au' liaked it, an' hollered as loud as dey cud squawk." Wade and the captain began to laugh. "A black man with a black dog was too much for them ! " exclaimed llaed. " Well, what next, Tahnleaf ? " "Doy run'd ; an' 'twan't a minit 'fore a whole gang ob do men cum runnin' up, wid dere picked bone tings in dere ban's." " That'll do," said Kit. "We know the rest." " What became of my musket ? " I asked. "I dunno. I tink I mus' ha' dropped it." " It does look like that," Kit remarked. " See here, you * Fifteenth Amendment ' ! " exolaimcd the captain, turning to him : " you had better stay aboard in future." " I tink so too, sar," said Palmleaf. The crowd on the shore had grown larger. There could not have been much less than two hundred of tlicm, we thought. The women and children had come. A pack of wolves could hardly have made a greater or more discordant din. We went to dinner, and, after that, lay down to rest awhile; but when we went on deck again at three, p.m., the crowd was still there, in. greater numbers than before. m ' ill 148 LEFT ON LABRADOR. " I \von(l(?r what the)' can bo waiting for so long," naid AVii.h'. Then; was little or no wind, or we should have weighctl anchor and made off. After watching them a while longer, we went down to read. But, about four, the cap- tain called us. AVe went up. " That was what tliey were waiting for," said he, point- ing off the starboard quarter. About a mile below the place where the Esquimaux were collected, a whole fleet of kai/aks were coming along the shore. " Waitiug for their boats," remarked the captain. *' They're coming off' to us ! " " Do you suppose they really have hostile intentions ? " llaed usked. " From their movements on shore, and their shouts and Innvls, I should suy that it was not impossible. No knowing what notions they've got into their heads about the ' black man.' " " Likely as not their priests, if they've got any, have told them they ought to attack us," said Wade. "There are fifty-seven of those kcu/aks and three oo- m'uihs coming along the shore !" said Kit, who had been watching them with a glass. '• Hark ! The crowd on shore have caught sight of them ! What a yelling ! " "I do reall)' believe they mean to attack us," llaed observed. "This must be some nasty superstition oa their part; some of their religious nonsense." " Well, we shall have to defend ourselves," said Kit, "Of course, we sha'n't let them board us," replied Wade. LEFT ON LADUADOK. 140 ng," said \vei«^li(*»l a while , the cap- he, point- squimaux \ ling along )tain. cntions?" loir shouts sihle. No eails about ; any, liavo le. ul three oo- 10 had been ht sight of c us," Racd t'l-stition on ' said Kit. us," replied .1 "Poor fools!" continued Racd. "It would be too bad if wo have to kill any of them." " Can't we frighton tlu-ni out of it in some way ? " I iiKpiircd. "Migiit firo on them with the howitzer," Kit sug- gested, "with nothing hut powder." " That would only make them bolder, when they saw that nothing (^ame out of it," said Capt. Hazard. "Tut in a ball, then," said Kit. " That would bo m bad as shooting them liero along- side." "It might be fired so as not to be very likely to liit them," sai.l Eaed. " Couldn't it, Wade V " " Yes : might put in a small charge, and kip the ball ; ricochet it along the water." " Let's try it," said Kit. The howitzer was pushed across to the starboard side. "llemember that there's a pretty heavy charge in ther(j now," said Wade. " Better send that over their heads!" The gun was accordingly elevated to near thirty degrees. Raed then touched it oft". The Escpiimaux, of course, lieard the report ; but I doubt if they saw or heard any thing of the ball. It doubtless went a thousand feet over their heads; and just then, too, the kayaks and ooniiaks came up where they were stand- ing, and a great hubbub was occasioned by their arrival. "Try 'em again!" exclaimed Donovan. " Give them a skipping shot this time," said Wade. A light charge of powder was then put in, with a ball, as before. The gun was not elevated this time j in- I 4t V''\. a^l l.*50 LKFT ON LABHADOR. deed, I WUovo TliU'd tlcprossod it a few (locjrops. Wo watched with a ^rcat dral of curiosity, if nothiiijr more, whih) Jvit lit^lited a s[)liiit and touched the [)riiu- iiiL^. A sharp, lij^ht report; and, a second later, the ball struck on the water off four or iivo hundred yards, and ricochettod, — skip — skip — skip — skip — s/xii into the loose shingle on the heach, nuiking the small stones and gravel fly in all directions. The Huskies jumped away lively. Very likely the pebhles flew with son).e considerable violence. But in a moment tlnsy were swarming about the hat/aks again, uttering loud cries. With the re-en fore enient they had just received, they numbered full a hundred or a hundred and fifty men. Should they make a iv/. At that place he reports that a magnetic needle, suspend- ed so that it turned easily, pointed directly down- ward." " We've got a needle hung in a graduated scale down stairs," remarked Kit. We had nearly forgotten it, how^^er. "Bring it up," said Raed. Wade went after it. It was set on the deck, and, after vibrating a few seconds, came to rest at a dip of about 83°. "If we were up at the point Capt. Ross reached, it would point directly down, or at 90°, I suppose," said Kit. " That's what he reported," said Raed. " There's no reason to doubt it." " But where is the south pole ? " Wade asked. "That has never been exactly reached," said Raed. " It is supposed to be in 75"^, south latitude, south of New Holland, in the Southern Ocean. A point has been reached where the dij? is 88§°, however." LKFT ON LABRADOR. loo " replied spoiKlinj; 26 needle magnetic . is pulled ance from [e out tlie , i^^*itude, x>ay. At (, suspend- tly down- jcale down ;ing a few reached, it )pose, 5> salt There's no :cd. said Raed. e, south of point has "Of course this magnetic pole that Ross found in 70° is not the bona fide north pole of the earth," Wado ohserved. " Oh, no ! " said tlie captain. " The genuine north pole is not so easily reached." " It's curious what this magnetic attraction is," said Kit reflectively. " It is now consi at it; but the 8'jhooner, under full headway, had piujst'd it too far. "Get a musket!'' sliouted Kit. We all made a rush down stairs for the gun-rack. Only threes v/ere loaded. Catching up one of these, I rail up. '• Otf astern there ! " cried Weymouth. We were already fifty yards away; but, getting a glimpse of it, I fired. There was no movement. '• Missed hiiu ! " exclaimed Wade. '' I'll bore him ! " He lired. Still there was no apparent motion. "Miss number two," said I. Kit then took a careful aim, and banged away. The creature didn't stir. "' Number tliree," laughed Wad'e. " That {isl\ nmst either bear a charmed life, or else it's ball-pvoof!" Kii exclaimed. Moaiiwhile "The Curlew" was being brought round. The captain was getting interested. Raed brought up one of our long cod-lines with, the grapnel on it, — the same contrivance with whicli old Trull had drawn in. the boat some days before ; and, on getting ba'.k within twenty yards, he threw it oft". It struck into t uc water beyond, and, on being drawn in, playenl over Ihe ])ack of the leathern object till one of the hooks caught fast. Still there was no movement. "There can't bo any life in it," said Wade. Raed pulled in slowly, the captain assisting him, till they had /aks 7 " Four feet — five feet — six feet. Something rose with it, dripping un(k'rneath. " Good Heavens ! " exchiimed Raed, turning away. " There's an Esquimau hi it, hanging head dowu ! " cried Kit. The sailors crowded round. It was a ghastly sight. The legs of tho corpse were still fast inside the little hoop around the hole in the deck in which the man had sat. His arms hung down limp and dripping. His long black hair streamed with water. He might have been floating there head down for a week. " Wal, I shouldn't s'pose the darn'd fool need trt hiWfe expected any thing else ! " exclaimed Corliss. " To go to sea with his feet fast in sucli a little skite of a craft aa that ! Might ha' known the darned thing 'ud 'a cap- sized an' drownded him.'' " What shall we do with it ?'' I asked. "We might sink it with three or fouir of those six-pound shot, I sup- pose." "No, no!" exclaimed Wade. "We can't afford six- pound shots to bury the heathen : it's as much as we can do to get enough to kill them with." " Oh, don't, Wade ! " said liaed. " It's a sad sight at best." " Of course it is. But then we've only got seventv3eu bulls left, and uo kuovviug how many battles to fight." *_, LKFT ON LAllRAnOR. 159 let down, ,11(1 H<»bbs t'e f'e(!t. ^ of those l: rose wi th 5 away. 1 duvvu ! " Lstly sij^lit. little hoop ti had sat. His long liuve been ed trt have " To go to a craft as ad '., a cap- We might hot, I sup- afford six- uch as we id sight at sevoiitoeu ;o fight." This last argument was a clincher. • "Let go !" ordcivd the captain. Don and llobbs shook the line violently, but couldn't tear out the grapple from th«^ tough seal-skin. "Well, let go line and all, then!" cried the ca^)- tain. \yith a dull plash the hiyah fell back into tlie sea ; and we all turned away. At midnight the ice-patches wore thickening rai)idly; and by two o'clock all sail had to be taken in, the bumps had grown so frequent and heavy. On the port side lay a large ice-fltxi of many acres extent. The schooner gradually driftt^i up to it. llaed and Kit luul gone oil deck. '* I think we may as veil make fast to it," I heard the captain say ; and, a monivnt later, the order was given to get out tlie ic(;-anchors. Wade asid £ then went up. " The Curlew '' lay broad- side against the tloe. The wind, with a current caused perlia[)s by the tide, held us up to it so forcibly, that the vessel careened slightly. Weymouth and llobbs werw gc'tting down on to the ice with the ice-chisels in their hands, and, going off twenty or thirt}' yiii'ds, began to cut holes. The ice-anchors were then thrown over on to the floe. To each of them w?.s bent one of our two-and- a-half-inch hawsers. The anchors themselves were, as will probably be remembi'red, simply large, strong grap- nels. Dragging them dong to the holes, thi'y wero liooked into tW ice, and the hawsers drawn iu tight from deck. I'lanks, secured to the rail by linos, were then run down to bear the chafe. This was our process m i. *,\ f' k III IGO LEFT ON LABRADOU. of anchoring? to ice. Somotimos throe or four grapnels were used when the teiKh'ncy to H\viM;» oil' was j^reater. To-night there was so n\nc\\ Hoatiiig ice all ahoiit, that the swell was almost entirely broken, and the schooner lay as (jniet as if in a country lake. A watch was set, and we turned in again. ]>reakfast at six. Fog thick and flat on the ice. The breeze in the night, blowing against the schooner, had turned the ice-field completely round. "Well, not so bad as a Brighton slaughter-pen, quite," M m grapnels txn'atcr. out, that schooner was set, ice. The oner, had iionally a onlil hear wind was • tluimps. along the exclaimed iping over th a pole, •oplicd tlio th nothing ! very fast : with". The et between water; and 3, and tkeii thinli," said •pen, quite," LEFT ON LAnRADOR, KU rejoined the captain. "r>ut 1 never much admired it, I must confess." Just then Donovan canio racing out <»f the fog, and, jumping for the rail, drew his legs up as if he hdieved them in great peril. "What ails you?" Kit cried out. "What are you running from ? " "Oh! nothing — much," replied Donovan, panting. " Met — a — hear out here : that's all." "Met a bear !" exclaimed liaed. "Yes. I was going along, trying to get by some of the seals. All at once I was face to face with a mighty great chap, on the same business with myself, I suppose. Thought I wouldn't wait. i[e looked pretty big. I'd nothing but the pole, you know." "We must have him !" exclaiyied Wade. "Best way will be to let down the boat, and work round the floe to prevent his taking to the water," ad- vised the captain. "They will swim like ducks threo or four miles at a time." While the boat was being let down, Kit and I ran to load the muskets. " I'm going to put the bayonets on our two," said Kit. we should come to ck " iney 11 with him. ! Look out for him I " We loohnl oaf. as sharply as we could for fog : uovcr- theles!^, the first notice we got of his arrival in our vicinity was a s[)lash into the water s(!veral rods fartlier on. "(live way sharp," shouted Kit, "or wo shall lose him!" Tho hoat h'aped under tho strong stroke ; and, a mo- ment after, we saw tho bear climbing out on to a cak»', wliicli tipjK'd up as lu; got on to It. "(jive him your shot, Wash !" Kit exclaimed. We wero not more than lifty feet away. I aimed for his head, and let go. The bullet clii>pe (l('.;k if lu! g in and <>nt twenty yiirtU of it rising a ill his IViglit," idi-i'd yards or y sure ; and, a lu-ard tlio cap- it after, " Gono ni 1" for fog : ncver- arrival in our L-al rods farther wo shall lose iko ; and, a mo- ut on to a cake, eel aimed, y. 1 aimed for 1 one of his ears readfuUy savage I If I I pvowl. Of eo'irse it wan a had shot ; hut somo allow- anee must he made f((r the rocking of the hoat. As ho lurne(l to us, the iee-cako tipind mikI rolled under hiiu, nearly throwing him oil"; at whieli he growled and biu'hcd out all the louder. Kit hesitated to lin-. *' lie might make a hreak, and get his paws on to the hoat hcfore wo could hai;k otV, if you shouldn't kill him," said Ilohhs. *■ Load as quick as you can, Wash," Kit said. "I'll wait till we have a reserve shot.'' Meanwhile wo heard voict's coming out on the floo. (iiiurd hegan to l»ark again, and came jumping from cake io cake out within a few rods of the hear, and rather hetween us and him. 'M>o ready, now," sai»l Kit; when some one of the party on tlu! Hoe fired on a sudden. Instantly the hear jumi»i'd for the dog; and tlm dog, turning, leaped for a little cake hotween him and the hoat. Tim hear splashed through, and gained the cake Guard had stood on. Crack — crack! from the floe. The hear growled frightfully as ho felt tlio bullets, and jdunged after the dog. We both (ired as he went opped the dog's black head. Something bumped the bottom of the boat simultaneously. The bear had come •- 'm •' % ?/ II 1.0 I.I IIU illlM m IIIIM 1 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► '/I & o e. <^. eA c). S" /}. o ^■m «r f% z^^'' /A ", o / Photographic Sciences Corporation S ,v %' 6^ % 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 9)^ t-? % w, 1 I ^ " L"| »■ • s i -.ill I m \% ■,v. 164 LEFT ON LABRADOR. up under us, and floated out on the port side, — a great mass of dripping, struggling white hair. Everybody was sliouting now. Wade lired. Bits of blazing car- tridge-paper flew into our faces. Kit and I thrust wildly with our bayonets ^ but the poor beast had already ceased all offensive warfare. He was dead enough. But who had killed him it was hard saying. No less than seven bullets had been fired into him from "a standard weapon," as Wado calls our muskets. We towed the carcass up to the edge of the floe, and pulled it up. The captain estimated its gross weight to be from four hundred and fifty to five hundred pounds. This was the largest one we had killed. Donovan and Weymouth and Hobbs were occupied the rest of the forenoon skin- ning it. It being a favorable opportunity, we improved it to make soundings. From where we lay moored to the floe, the nearest island was about three leagues to the east, and the northern main from ten to twelve miles. For sounding we had a twenty-four-pound iron weight, with a staple leaded into it for the line. Dropping it out of the stern, we ran out a hundreiT and seventy- three fathoms before it slacked. The depth of the strait at that place was given at ten hundred and thirty-eight feet. I should add, that this was considerably deeper than we had found it below that point. >.■ CHAPTER XI. "Isle Aktok." — A Sca-Horsc and a Sca-IIorse Hunt. — Tn IIie;li Spirits. — Sudden Interruption of the Hunt. — A Heavy Gun. — The Race to the Ledge-Tops.— Too Late. — A Disheartening Spectacle. — Surprised by the Com])any'8 Ship. — The Schooner in Peril. — Capt. Mazard bravely waits. The Flight of •' The Curlew " amid a Shower of Balls. —The Chaoc. — Left on the Islet. — A Gloomy Prospect. — " What shall we have for Grub to ate!"— Wild-Gcese. — Egging. — "yJoo7n.'" — A Sea-Horse Flro. TOWARD night the wind changed to north, and thinned out tlie patch-ice, driving it soutliward, so that hy ten o'clock, evening, we were able to get in our ice- anchors and make sail, continuing our voyage, and making about four knots an hour till nine o'clock next morning, when we were off a small island, the first of a straggling group on the south side of the strait. South-east of this islet was another large island, ^.^ Jiich we at first mistook for the south main, but, after comparing the chart, concluded that it ",'as "Isle Aktok. " To the north the mainland, with its fringe of ledgy isles, was in sight, distant not far from thirteen leagues. We had been bearing southward considerably all night, falling off from tlie wind, which was north-wes*-. We were now, as nearly as we could reckon it up, a hundred and nineteen leagues inside the entrance of the straits at Cape Resolution. Raed and lUii 166 LEFT ON LABRADOR. Il i ! i I were below making a sort of map of the straits, look- ing over the charts, &c., ^sjrfien Kit came running down. " There's a sea-horse off here on the island ! " said he. " A sea-horse ! " exclaimed Kaed. " A walrus ! " I cried ; for we had not, thus far, got sight of one of these creatures, thougli we had expected to find them in numbers throughout the straits. But, so far as our observation goes, they are very rare there. Taking our glasses, we ran hastily up. Wade was looking off. " Out there where the ice is jammed in against this lower end of the island," directed Kit. The distance was about a mile. '"' Don't you see that great black hunch lying among the ice there ? " continued he. " See his white tusks ! " Bringing our keen little telescopes to bear, we soon had him uj) under our noses, — a great, dark- hided, clumsy beast, with a hideous countenance and white tusks ; not so big as an elephant's, to be sure, but big enough to give their possessor a very formidable appearance. " Seems to be taking his ease there," said Wade. " Same creature that the old writers call a morse, isn't it?" " I believe so," replied Raed. " Wonder if our proper name, Morse, is from that ? " said I. " Shouldn't wonder," said Kit. " Many of our best family names are from a humbler origin than that. But we must improve this chance to hunt that old chap : may not get another. And it won't do, nohow, to come cXvuw up here to Hudson Bay and not go sea-horse-huuting once. J) V HHinir^ LEFT ON LABRADOR. 167 " Right, my boy ! " cried Raed. " Captain, we want to go on a walrus-hunt. Can the scliooner be brought round, and the boat manned for tliat purpose ? " "Certainly, sir. ' The Curlew' is at your service, as also her boat." " Then let me invite you to participate in the exer- cise," said Kaed, laughing. "Nothing would suit me better. But as the wind is fresh, and the schooner liable to drift, I doubt if it will be prudent for me to leave her so long. You have my best wishes for your success, however. I shall watch the chase with interest through my glass ; and, better still, I will see that Palmleaf has dinner ready at your return. — Here, Weymoutli and Donovan, let down the boat, and row these youthful huntsmen to yonder ice-bound shore ! " Ah ! if we had foreseen the results of that hunt, we should scarcely have been so jocose, I fancy. Well, com- ing events are wisely hidden from us, they say ; but, by jolly ! a fellow could afford to pay well for a glimpse at the future once in a while. Each of us boys took a musket and eight or ten car- tridges. I'm not likely to forget what we took with us, in a hurry. " We'll put the bayonets on, I guess," Kit remarked. "It's a big lump of a beast. These are just the thip'^s for giving long-range stabs with." " Don't forget the caps ! " cried Raed, already half way up the companion-way. The wind was rather raw that morning : we put on our thick pea-jackets. Weymouth and Don were already down in the boat, which they had brought alongside. Mm f i^"^ 1C8 LEFT ON LABRADOR. -^Hlltl I ! " Hero, Don, stick that in your waistband ! " exclaimed Kit, wlio had come up last, lOssing him cue of our new butchor-kniv^os. "Allriglit, sir!" " Wish you would give me a musket," said Weymouth. " You shall have one ! " cried Wade, running back for it. " Come, Guard ! " shouted Kit. " Here, sir ! " and the shaggy Newfoundland came bouncing down into the boat. • We got in and pulled off. " Make for that little cove up above the ice where the sea-horse lies," directed Raed. " We'll land there, and then creep over the rocks toward him." Kit caught up the extra paddle, and began to scull. We shot over the waves ; we joked and laughed. Some- how, we were all as merry as grigs that morning. Running into the cove, the boat was pulled up from the water, and securely fastened. Up at this end of the straits the tide did not rise nearly so high, — not more than eight or ten feet during the springs. " Now whisht ! " said Raed, taking up his musket. " Back, Guard ! Still, or we shall frighten the old gentle- man ! " " He was lying there all sedate when we slid into the cove," said Kit. " Asleep, I guess." " We'll wake him shortly," said Wade. " But you say they are a large species of seal. Won't he take to the water, and stay under any length of time ? " " That's it, exactly," replied Kit. " We mustn't let him take to the water — before we riddle him." LEFT ON LABRADOR. 169 ''But they're said to Lave a precious tough hide," said I. " Perliaps wo can't riddle so easy." " Should like to see any thing in tliC shape of hide that one of these rifle slugs won't go through," replied Kit. " Sh-h-h ! " from Eaed, holding back a warning hand : he was a little ahead of us. " Creep up still ! Peep by me ! See him ! By Jove ! he's wiggling off the ice ! Jump up and shoot him ! " We sprang up, cocking our muskets, just in time to get a glimpse and hear the great seal splash heavily into the sea. Wade and Kit fired as the waters buried him; Guard rushed past; and Donovan bounded down the rocks, butclier-knife in hand. "Too late ! " exclaimed Raed. We ran down to the spot. The water went off deep from the ice on which it had Iain. It was nowhere in sight. Dirt and gravel had been scattered out on to the ice, and its ordure lay about. Evidently this was one of its permanent sunning-places. " Get back among the rocks, and watch for him ! " exclaimed Kit. " Only thing we can do now." " I suppose so," said Raed. We secreted ourselves a little back from the water behind different rocks and in little hollows, and, with guns rested ready to fire, waited for the re-appearance of the big seal. Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed ; but he didn't re-appear much. "I say," Wade whispered : "this is getting a little played ! " We were all beginning to think so, when a horrible noise — a sound as much like the sudden belle,/ of a m If IN !'".'/" il ' i ■ * f t im till \ 170 LEFT ON LAUIIADOR. mad bull as any thing I can compare it with — re- sounded from the other side of the island. " What, for Heaven's sake, is that ? " Kit exclaimed. " Must be another of these sea-horses calling to the one over here," said Kaed after listening a moment. " Let's work round there, then," I said. The noise seemed to have been four or five hundred yards off. Keeping the dog behind us, we hurried round by the east shore to avoid climbing the higher ledges, which rose sixty or seventy feet along the middle of the islet. These bare, flinty ledges, when not encumbered by bowlders, are grand things to run on. One can get over them at an astonishing pace. Once, as we ran on, we heard the bellow repeated, and, on coming within twenty or thirty rods of where it had seemed to be, stopped to reconnoitre. " Bet you, he's right under that high ledge that juts out over the water there," said Kit. " Wait a moment," whispered Wade : " we may hear him again." And, in fact, before his words were well out, the same deep, harsh sound grumbled up from the shore. " Under that ledge, as I guessed ! " exclaimed Kit. " Sounds like an enormous bull-frog intensified," Eaed muttered. We crept down toward the brink of the ledge. Kit and Wade a little ahead. Arriving at the crest, they peered over cautiously, and with muskets cocked. " Here he is ! " Kit whispered back of his hand. We stole up. There, on a little bunch of ice not yet thawed off the shore, lay the unsuspecting monster, — a tl LEFT ON LABRADOR. 171 great brown-black, unwieldy body. There is no living creature to which I can easily compare it. I should judge it would have weighed a ton, — more perhaps; for it was immensely thick and broad: though the head struck me as very small for its bulk otherwise. " Now, all together ! " whispered Racd. " Aim at its body above and back of its forward flippers. Keady ! Fire!" We let drive. The great creature gave a hoarse grunt, and, raising itself on its finlike legs, floundered over into the sea. " Tvound the ledge !" shouted Kit. "He won't get far, I don't believe ! " Guard was tearing down, barking loudly; and we had started to run, when, above the shouting and barking, the sudden boom of a cannon was heard. " Hark ! " cried Weymouth. " Hold on, hold on, fellows ! " Raed exclaimed. "Wasn't that our howitzer?" Donovan asked. " Sounded like it." " It's the cap'n firing, for a joke, to let us know he heard us," Weymouth suggested. " Oh ! he wouldn't do that," replied Raed. " Of course he wouldn't ! " exclaimed Donovan. " Ho ain't that sort of a man ! " " That's a summons ! " said Wade, coming hurriedly back up the rocks ; for he and Kit were a little ahead. " Put for the top of the ledges up here ! We can see from there ! " • - We had got twenty yards, perhaps, when a second loud report made the rocks rattle to it. M •I :t i ! ^f 'i 172 LEFT ON LABRADOR. "There's trouble ! '' exclaimed Wade at my heels, as we climbed up the steep side. An undefinable fear had blanched all our faces. Scarcely had tlie echoes of the gun died out among the crags when another heavier report made the islet jar under our feet. " Oh, there ! " exclaimed Raed despairingly. Donovan was a step ahead; but Kit and I sprang past him now. Another shelving incline of forty or fifty yards, and the blue sea burst into view over the rocks. My eyes burned in their sockets from the violent exertion. At first I saw only " The Curlew " with her great white sails both broadside to us, and our bright gay flag streaming out. A glance showed that she had been brought round, and that the sails were flapping wildly. A jet of flame streamed out from her side ; and, like a warning-call, the sharp report crashed on our ears, infinitely louder now we had gained the top. All this in a second. " Why ! what is it ? " I exclaimed. Turning, I saw them all staring off to the west. Heavens ! There, under full sail, was a large ship not two miles off! How like the shadow of doom she loomed up ! and how suddenly white the faces of Kit and Wade just beyond me looked ! We had thought we were on the lookout for this very thing; and yet it seemed to us now a complete surprise. We were stunned. Ijaiifj ! A heavy cannon ; and the water flew up in a long white streak far past " The Curlew " as the big shot wont driving by. The ship was within a mile and »i V J LEFr ON LABRADOR. 173 a lialf of hor, and we here on tlie islot tlireo-fourtlis of a ijiilo away ! Yet tliere stood " Tlie Curlew '* motionless on tlie waves; and tliere stood Capt. Mazard, waving his hat for us, liis glass glittering in lii3 other liand. " To the boat ! " yelled Weymouth, leaping down the rocks. " lie wouldn't go without us ! " " Stop ! " shouted Kaed. " It's no use ! Don't you see how the ship's closing in ? " Then, catching off his cap, he waved it slowly toward the east. W'j saw the captain's glass go up to his eye. Again Haed motioned him to go. Banrj ! A higher shot. It strikes a quarter of a mile ahead of the schooner, and goes skipping on. But the captain is still looking off to us, as if loath to desert us. A third time Kaed waves his cap. He turns. Itound go the booms. "The Curlew" starts off with a bound. The flag streams out wildly in the strong north-west wind. Banff ! That ball hits the sea a long way ahead of its mark. Even in these brief seconds the great shaflowy ship has come perceptibly nearer. How she bowls along ! We can jee the white mass of foam at the bows as she rides up the swells. A queer, lost feeling had come over me. In an instant it all seemed to have gone on at a far-past date. Looking back to that time now, I see, as in a picture, our forlorn little party standing there on the black, weathered ledges, gazing off, — Weymouth half a dozen rods down the rocks, where he had stopped when Kaed called to him ; Donovan a few rods to the right, shading his eyes with hi^i hand; Kaed with his arms folded ! i ii M \m il if' V I i b ■ ■■» ! li £ ! ' 1. 174 LEFT ON LABRADOR. tijjjhtly; Kit staring liard at the ship; "Wade dancing about, swearing a little, witli the tears coming into his eyes; myself leaning weakly on a musket, limp as a shoe-string ; and poor old Guard whining dismally, with an occasional howl, — all gazing off at the rapidly- moving vessels. "It was no use," Raed said, his voice seeming to break the spell. "We couldn't have got off to the schooner. See how swiftly the ship comes on ! If the captain had waited for us to pull off, or even started up and let us go off diagonally, the ship would have cou;c so near, that there would have been no escaping her guns. I don't know as there is now. If any of those shot should strike the masts, or tear through the sails, there would be no getting away. " I want you to look at it just as I do," Raed con- tinued ; for we none of us had said a word. " If we had tried to get on board, ' The Curlew ' would certainly have been captured, and we with her. Now she stands a chance of getting off." Bang! What a tremendous gun ! The large ship was getting off opposite. The report made the ledge tremble under us. " Hadn't we better get out of sight ? " Donovan said. " They may see us, and send a boat over here." "No danger of that, I think," replied Raed. "They want to run the schooner down, and wouldn't care to leave their boat so far behind. This strong north-west wind favors them. Still I don't think they are gaining much. They're not going over ten or eleven knots. * The Curlew ' will beat that, I hope, — if none of f ■'S I •I ledge LEFT ON LABRADOR. 175 those big shots hit her," taking out his glass. " IIow beautiful slu; looks ! " "But, llaed," remarked Kit soberly, "they will chase her clean out the straits into the Atlautic, even if they do not capture her." " They may." "And she'll be ratho.' short-handed for men," ob- served Donovan. " That's too true " " Tlien what are the chances of her getting back here for us ? " cried Wade. Bang ! from tlie great white mass of bulging canvas now fairly opposite us. The smok'o drifted out of her bows. "VVe could hear the rattle of her blocks, the swash of the sea, and the roar of sails ; and, quite dis- tinct on tlie fresh breeze, the gruff commands to reload. " Capt. Mazard won't leave us here if he lives and has his liberty," said E-aed. " Oh, he'll come back if he can ! " exclaimed Dono- van. " He's true blue ! " " But what if he can't," Kit observed quietly. " What a situation for us ! Here we are a thousand miles from a civilized town or a civilized people, and in a worse than trackless wilderness ! The season, too, is passing. The straits will soon be closed with ice." " Only think of it ! " Wade cried out, — " here on this frozer coast, with winter coming on ! In a month it will be severe weather here. We've nothing but our cloth clothing!" Wade turned away ; and for many minutes we were all silent. Bang! \'. '■ 176 LEFT ON LABRADOR. I'ifiS " Corao, ft'llows ! " Raed exclaimed at length. " This won't do ! Wade has got the gloomiest side out ! Come, rally from this ! See, they're not gaining on the schooner! Look how she's bowling away ! They liaven't hit her yet. Kit ! Wash ! I say, fellows, it looks a lit- tle bad, I own. But never say die; or, if you must die, — why, die game. That's the doctrine you are always preaching, Kit. Isn't it, now? Tell me!" "But to be frozen or starved to death among these desolate ledges ! " muttered Kit. "Is not a cheery prospect, I'll admit," Baed finished for him. " Rather trying to a fellow's j)hilosophy, isn't it?" Bang ! " She isn't hit yet," remarked Donovan, who had taken Baed's glass. " She slides on gay as a cricket. I can see the cap'n throwing water with the skeet against the sails to make 'em draw better." " IIow, for Heaven's sake, did that ship come to get up so near before they saw her?" Kit exclaimed suddenly. We looked off to the west. The dozen straggling islets beyond us extended off in irregular order toward the north-west. "I think," said Baed, "that the ship must have come up a little to the south of those outer islands. Our folks could not have seen her, then, till she came past." " I don't call that the same ship that fired on us a week ago," Weymoutli remarked. " Oh, no ! " said Kit. " Tliat ship, ' The Bosamond,' can't more than have reached tlie nearest of the Com- pany's trading-posts by this time." -sii LEFT ON LABRADOR. 177 " She probably spoke this ship coming out, and told them to be on the lookout for us," said Raed. "Old Red-face doubtless charged them to give us par- ticular fits," Kit replied. " And they've got us in a tight place, no mistake,'* Wade remarked gloomily. " We're rusticated up here among the icebergs j sequestered in a cool spot." Bang I "Gracious ! I believe that one hit 'The Curlew' ! " Donovan exclaimed. " The captain and old Trull — I believe it's Trull — ran aft, and are looking over the taffrail ! " Kit pulled out his glass and looked. I had not taken mine, nor had Wade. The schooner was now three or four miles down the straits, and the ship was a good way past us. "No great harm done, I guess," Kit said at length. " The captain ran down into the cabin, but came up a few moments after; and they are standing about the deck as before." "As long as they miss the standing rigging, and don't hit the sails, there's no danger," Haed observed. "That ship is a mighty fast sailer," Weymouth said. "Ought to be, I should think," Donovan re[)licd. " Look at the sail she's got on ! They've been getting out studding-sails too. This strong gale drives her along like thunder ! " " I don't see that she gains," Kaed remarked. "Wo shall see ' The Curlew ' back here for us yet." "Not very soon, I'm afraid," Wade said. "Well; not to-night, I dare say," replied Raed. 12 v^m r 'I I ; i M I! i um^ ? li 111 178 LEFT ON LABRADOR. "How long do you set it?" Kit asked, talcing down his glass. "Suppose tlie captain is lucky enough to get away from them: how long do you think it will be before he will get back here for us ? " " That, of course, depends on how far they chase him,'' said Raed. "They'll chase him just as far as they can," replied Kit. " Why not ? It's riglit on their way home. They'll chase the schooner clean out the straits." " The captain may turn down into Ungava Bay, on the south side of the straits," Racd replied. "No, he won't do that," Kit contended. "That bay is full of islands, and choked with ice; and our charts ar'n't worth the paper they're made out on." " Well, if he has to run out into the Atlantic, he may not be back for ten days." " Ten days ! " exclaimed Wade. " If we see him in a month, we need to think we're lucky." Bang ! "That^s a pleasant sound for us, isn't it, now?" Kit demanded, — "expecting every shot will lose us the schooner, and leave us two thousand miles from home on a more than barren coast ! " "I shall look for 'The Curlew' in ten days," Raed re- marked. " And I don't think we had better leave here, to go off any great distance, till we feel sure she's not coming back for us. If she's not back in two weeks, I shall think we have got to shirk for ourselves." " lUit how in the world are we to live two weeks hero ! " Wade exclaimed. "Live by our wits," Kit observed. LEFT ON LABRADOR. 179 two weeks "lioolvs as if we should have to give up coffee," Raed said, trying to get a laugh going. " \V^hy, I'm hungry now ! " Wade cried out ; " hut I don't see any thing to eat but ice and rocks ! " " It's half-past eleven," Kit announced, looking at his watch. " Seriously, what do you expect we can get hold of for grub, Raed ? " "Well, seals." " Seals 1 " exclaimed Wade ; " the oily, nasty trash ! " " Hunger may bring you to sing a different tune," Kit muttered. " I'm not sure that a seal's flipper might not be acceptable by to-morrow morning." " There are plenty of kittiwakes and lumne and eider- ducks about these islets," I suggested. " We can shoot some of them." "And we can fish !" Weymouth exclaimed. " Where's your hooks ? " said Kit. That question floored the fishing project. " W^ell, we've got our muskets," replied W^^ymouth. " How many cartridges in all ? " Raed asked. "Let's take account of them. They are like to be precious property." " I've got eight," said Kit, counting them. "I have seven," Wade announced. "Six," said I. " I took nine," Raed observed. "You gave me five," reported Weymouth. "I have used one. Here's the other four." " Thirty-tour in all," said Raed. " Now, boys, these are worth their weight in gold to us. Not one must be wasted." ■\iting sinav<'-htMng told us orour n'^ar U to whvro tho T«?M of oar party wore ; and, tiiiu- • mif A Und of the* cttt|«. w<^ (Tisrovfcixxl them alli'otir tug- giug at a lino. '^Wliat jtro tlicy dcAgging, I wonder?" "Wc-yniouth said to Uio. *'Oht 1 S(»o. It's the t*e.a-horse." TUoy w.ii't; trying io pull the walriis up out of the wator, whero thoy had foaud him iluundf»riiig about, fatally woiyulcd with tho slugs we had liftd througli his. l)aok. Tl>e sioa about the rocks was discolored witTi liis blood, and turbid vVith the dirt ho had torn np, Dono- van had sb'ighterod him w^itli ""he bulchor-kniio ; and, with the boat's painter noosed over tho hc^ad of the rar- cass, they were now trying. Ut draw it up on the ledge. Weymouth and I at once bvra a h«-nd j and it took idl six of u>i, tug^iu^ h?ird, to get it ap. "What a mam *»i ht ,^d rl*v>s>i 1 " ^t €a«dai«iafid, putling. vl 4^^'t Vid»«??''i« I t'ouldever stomach it!'' Wmio groan erfl " W'2 can offer yon uvuvuMn^ octteri ' exclaimird Weymouth, li^iding wp t\w gtyeso. "What thiak of thoiie fellows? Wild-geese! Ana look at these!" hold- in}^ up his cap. "Nice fresh eggs! — to be had by the dozen ! ajjd nothing to pay, either I " *' Why, ffclhuvg, this m a sort of iitiEtl>orn paj-adise ! " cried ili^A. *^But Vb*t sticks ine is how t<* c>ok those eggB and gop-io. I never'conid suck egsfs." **JuHt buibd a iir, and I'll show you how to cook *em," Weymo'tth .•'e."— Wade Sick. — A Peevish Patient aud a Fractious Doctor. — The Manufacture of Salt. 51; I I "TT 7"E stood and warmed our hands. It felt com- V V fortable, — decidedly so ; for though the sun was high and bright, yet the north-west wind drove smartly across the rocks above us. Currents of air fresli from the lair of icebergs can't be very warm ever. There was plenty of ice all about. " Keady to cook those eggs, Weymouth ? " Raed ex- claimed. "You were going to furnish spider, kettle, or something of that sort, you know." " Yes, sir ; and all I'll ask is that some of you v/ill be dressing a couple of those geese while I am gone. I've a mind to dine off goose to-day." *' Well, that's reasonable," said Donovan. " Go ahead, matey ! Bring on your spider ! We'll have the geese ready for it ! " ''•If you will go with me," Wojmiouth said, nodding over to where I was enjoying the lire. " Two may per- haps find what I want sooner than one." 187 fi! ■ I'l' if .V iff I 111 ! ' 188 LEFT ON LABRADOR. I followed liira. " j\Iy iJea is," said he, turning when we were off a few rods, " to get a flat, hollotving stone, — 'bout as big over as a mdk-pan, say j kind of hollowed out on the top side, just so grease won't run off it. We can set that up on small rocks, and let the fire run under. It'll soon get hot : then grease it, and break the eggs into it just as they do into a spider. You see ? " I sa-v it, — a very reasonable project. The only diffi- culty was to find such a stone. To do that we separated. Weymouth followed out along the shore, while I climbed up among the crags. There were plenty of flat rocks; but to find one sufficiently spider-shaped for our pur- pose was not so easy. At length I came upon one — a flake of felspar of a dull cream-color — hollowed enough on one side to hold a pint or upwards. But it was heav^y : must have weighed fully a hundred pounds. I called to Weymouth : he was out of hearing, i^otliing to do but carry it. So, after some mustering of my spare muscle, I picked it up, and, going along to a favor- able spot, succeeded in getting down to the beach with it, whence 1 toiled along to our camp-fire. Weymouth had got there a little ahead of me with a flat stone worn smooth by the waves. It was not so thick as mine, nor so heavy : it was a sort of dark slate-stone. Forthwith a discussion arose as to the merits of the two spiders; which was finally decided in favor of the one I had found, from its being the whitest and cleanest-look- ing. Meanwhile Donovan had been feeding the fire so profuse-y, that all hands had been obliged to get back from it. Animal fat, like this of the walrus, makes an LEFT ON LABRADOR. 189 as big 'S exceedingly hot flame. Three flat stones were sot up edgewise, and the spider set on them. The flaming meat was then tlirust under it so as to heat the spider. From its thickness, it took some minutes for it to become heated through ; but, in the course of a quarter of an hour. Kit pronounced it ready. Weymouth cut ( ut a chunk of walrus-blubber, with which he basted it, the melted fat collecting in a little puddle at the bottom. " Now for the eggs ! " he exclaimed. Raed handed them to him, one by one ; while he broke them on the edge of the butcher-knife, and dropped a half-dozen into the novel frying-pan. "Better be getting your phites ready! "he shouted, turning them over with the knife to the tune of a mighty fizzling. We all took the hint, and scattered to find flat stones for platters. 'Twas a singular assortment of kitchen- ware that we re-appeared with a few minutes later. Taking up the fried eggs with his knife, Weymouth tossed us each one, which we caught on our plates. Another batch was then broke into the spider, fried, and distributed like the first. "Now then!" cried Kit. "Draw jack-knives, and dine ! " Several mouthfuls were eaten in silence. "What think of 'em?" Weymouth asked, casting a sly glance around. " How do they go ? " " Rather oily ! " grumbled AVade. " Awful fresh ! " Kit complained. " Not a dust of salt in this camp ! " Eaed exclaimed. ' ''i • 'm Ill Ni i« 'T- : Bj i t .; ( I t i. I I 190 LEFT ON LABRADOR. "We nevor can live without any salt," said I. " Nothing will relish so fresh as these eggs." "But where's your salt coming from?" Kit de- manded. "Plenty of it in the sea," said Donovan. "Mighfe boil down some of the salt water." " If we only had a kettle to boil it in," Kaed added. "Well, there's the old tin dipper in the boat that we used to bail out the rain-water with," replied Don. " We could keep that boiling. Might boil away six or seven quarts by morning. That would give quite a pinch of salt." " That's the idea ! " said Kit. " Let's get it going as soon as we can. Wash it out, and dip it up two-thirds full of water, Don. I'll fix a way to set it over the fire." Meanwhile Weymouth was frying another dozen of eggs. " I think I can suggest a better way of evaporating the sea-water," remarked Kaed as Donovan came up with the two-quart dipper of water. " You see that little hollow in the ledge just the other side of the fire : that will hold several pailf'uls, probably. The fire on the rocks must make that warm : you see if it isn't, AVash." I was on that side. The ledge for several yards from the blaze was beginning to get warmed up. " We miglit brush that out clean," liaed C(mtinued, " and 1111 it with water. It will evaporate fast there, and leave its salt on the bottom of the hollow. We can move the fire along a little nearer to make the rocks hotter. I'm not sure that we could not make the water boil in there." Sfi^^^S^S tmSBBSBm — MW*&.,s.«,.»S3i'B«e8«!!»SS!r««fr>'V said I. Cit dc" ' IMigbfe dded. tliat we d Don. Y six or quite a ;oing as o-tliirds )vcr the ozen of ,ting tlie up with at little re : tliat on the AVash." L'ds from n tinned, ^t there, We can lie rocks lie water i LEFT ON LABRADOR. 191 The place was brushed, and a dozen bumper-fuls turned into the hollow, where it soon began to steam. "That'll do it!" exclaimed Kit. "Nevermind: we shall have salt by to-morrow ! " After eating the eggs, one of the geese, which Dono- van and Raed had dressed, was cut up raw, and fried on the spider. We had sharpened appetites ; and, had the morsels been flavored with salt, it would not have tasted bad. Wade tried dipping his in the bumper of sea- water, — with no great satisfaction to his palate, I in- ferred ; for he did not repeat the experiment. " How about drink ? " Kit observed at length. " I don't suppose there's a spring on the island. I'm get- ting thirsty. What's to be done for water?" " Have to melt ice," E-aed replied. " There's ice along the shore, among the rocks." Kit started off, and presently came back with a large lump. Bits of it were broken off and put in the bumper, and held over the lire. The water thus obtained and cooled with ice was not salt exactly. Still it was not, as has sometimes beti affirmed, pure fresh water, by any mepns: it had a brackish taste. T:;3 weather, which had been clear dui'ing the day thus far, began to foul toward evening. It was now after six. The wind had veered to the south-west. Wild, straggling fogs, with black clouds higher up, were running into the north-east. Damp, cold gusts blew in from the water. "We .shall have a chilly night," Wade said, shiver- ing a little. "Rain and sleet before morning, likely as not." I I! ill i^ ii 192 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ii ■^ ' "^isasater... We set about preparing for it. A little back from the fire a wall of rough stones was hastily thrown up to the height of throe feet or over, and continued for ten or twelve feet, with both ends brought round toward the fire. We then got the boat up out of the water, and, by hard lifting, raised it bottoin-up, and laid it on our semi- circular wall. It thus formed a kind of shed largo enough to creep under. But, not satisfied with this, Donovan fell to work witl his butcher-knife, and, in the course of an hour, had cleaved the skin off both sides of the walrus down to where it rested on the rock. Then, using the hafts of the oars as levers, we rolled the car- cass on one side. The hide was then skinned off under- neath ; when, on rolling the carcass clean over, we had the hide off in one I 'oad, immensely-heavy sheet. Raed estimated it to contain twenty square yards, reckoning the average girth of the walrus at twelve feet, and its length at fifteen feet. By means of the oars and thwarts as supports, the skin was then raised with the raw side up in tent form over the wall and boat, making shelter sufiicient for us all to get under with comfort. " Now let it storm, if it wants to ! " cried Weymouth : "we've got a water-proof seal-skin at least!" An arch of stones, with our spider set in the top, was then built over the fire to protect it from the weather. " IIow long will this walrus last for firewood, sup- pose ? " I asked. "Oh! two or three days, for a guess," Donovan thought. " After that, what ? " said Wade. " It's no use to trouble ourselves about that now," said LEFT ON LABRADOn. 103 ack from wn up to 1 for ten ward the :, and, by our semi- iod larsce vitli this, id, in tlie 1 sides of Then, the car- )ff under- ', we had it. Raed ■eckoning t, and its oars and with the :, making mfort. ejmouth : ! top, was eather. ood, sup- Donovan ow," said ^ i : Kit: "the Bible expressly forbids it. Besides, weVo liad trouble enough for one day. I'm for turning in and having a nap." "Not much fun in turning in on a bare ledge, I fan- cy," Wade replied. "Wo shall miss our mattresses." "A bare rock is a rather hard thing to bunk on, I do think," E-aed remarked, peeping under the walrus-skin. "If we were in Maine, now, we should qualify that with a 'shake-down' of spruce-boughs. Didn't see any thing of the evergreen sort among the rocks, did you, Wash?" We had not. It then occurred to me that we had ob- served several little shrubs common to the mountains of Labrador, and known to naturalists as the Labrador tea- plant. " Any thing is better than the bare rock," Raed re- marked when I spoke of this shrub j and we all sallied out to glean an armful. While thus engaged. Wade and Kit espied a bed of moss in a hollow between the crags, a portion of which was dry enough for our purpose. After bringing an armful of the tea-plant, Ave made a trip to the moss- patch. What we could all bring at once piled upon the coarse shrubs made a bed by no means to be despised by — cast-aways. " I presume there's no need of mouating guard or set- ting a watch here," Donovan said. " How do we know that some party of Huskies or In- dians has not been watching our movements all day ? " Weymouth suggested. " I don't think it likely," said Raed. " We may all 13 'II ■Hi m m 1 1' 'If 194 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ii :: f '■ I w m I* venture to go to sleep, I guess, and trust to Guard to keep watch for us." " I don't know about that," Kit remarked, patting the old fellow's head. " He's eaten much of our wood- pile, that he will he but a drowsy sentinel, I'm afraid." The fire was replenislied with blubber; and we all lay down on our mossy beds inside our fresh-smelling tent. The sun must have been still high in the north-west ; but so wild and dark were the clouds, that it had grown quite dark by nine o'clock. The damp wind -gusts sighed ; the surf swashed drearily on the rocks. De- spite all our efforts to bear up and seem gay, a weight of doubt and danger rested heavily on our spirits. "Where is 'The Curlew' iioiv?'^ was the question that would keep constantly recurring, followed by a still more ominous query, " What would become of us if she should not return ? " " Isn't there a town out on the Atlantic coast of Lab- rador, a town or a village, settled by the Moravian mis- sionaries ? " Raed asked suddenly', after we had been lying there quietly for some minutes. " Seems to me there is," Kit replied after a moment of reflection. " There's one indicated on our geography-maps, I'm pretty sure, called Nain, or some such scriptural name. Don't you remember it. Wash ? " I did distinctly; and also another, either above or be- low it on the coast, called Ilopedale, colonized by mis- sionaries from South Greenland. " Those Moravians are very good folks, I've heard," Wade said. " They're a very pious. Christian people. I T« LEFT ON LABRADOR. 195 Gruard to tting the >ur wood- afraid." jve all lay ng tent, rth-west ; lad grown ind- gusts cks. De- , a weight ar spirits, stion that . still more she should isfc of Lah- ivian mis- had been a moment -maps, I'm ural name. 30ve or he- ed by mis- e heard," 1 people. I have read, too, that thoy have succeeded in Christianiz- ing many of tlie coast Esquimaux." "Those Huskies must make queer Christians!" ex- claimed Donovan. " How far do you suppose it is out to those towns, Nain, say, from here, for a guess ? " Raed asked a few minutes after. " I was just thinking of that," said Kit. " Well, I should say four hundred miles." *' Not less than six hundred," said Wade. I thought it as likely to be seven or eight hundred. "That would be a good way to travel on foot," mut- tered Raed reflectively. " Yes, it would," said Kit. « Still I shouldn't quite despair of doing it if there was no other way out of thi s. » " How long would it take us, do you suppose ? " Raed asked after another pause. "How many miles a day could we make, besides hunting and getting our food?" " Not more than twelve on an average," Kit thought. " Suppose it to be seven hundred miles, that would take us near sixty days," Raed remarked ; " seventy, counting out Sundays." " We never could do that in the world ! " Wade ex- claimed. "It would take us till midwinter, in this country ! We should starve ! We should freeze to death ! " "Couldn't very well do both," Kit observed rather dryly. "The journey would be well-nigh impossible, I ex- pect," Raed remarked. " On getting in from the coast, 196 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ti « If I we should proliably meet with no sea-fowl, no seals : in fact, I hardly know what we should be able to get for game. I have heard that caribou-deer are common in Labrador ; but they are, as we know from experience in the wilderness about Mount Katahdin, very difficult to kill. And then our cartridges ! " ♦ "We might possibly attach ourselves to some party of Esquimaux goinc^ southward," Kit suggested. "And be murdered by them for our guns and knives!" exclaimed Wade. " Oh, no ! not so bad as that, I should hope. But let's go to sleep now, and discuss this to-morrow." There was something horrible to our feelings in this thought of our perfect isolation from the world. I think Wade realized it, or at least felt it, more than either of the other boys. Kit either didn't or wouldn't seem to mind it much after the first hour or two. Kaed proba- bly saw the chances of our getting away more clearly than any of us ; but I doubt if he felt the wretchedness of our situation so keenly as either Wade or myself, lie was always cool and collected in his plans, and not a little inclined to stoicism as regarded personal danger. These philosophical persons are apt to be so. What the most of folks feel badly about they laugh at : it is bet- ter so, perhaps. Yet 'p\ty and sympathy are good things in their way. They help hold society together ; and are, I think it likel}'', about its strongest bonds of union. As for Weymouth and Donovan, they bore it all very lightl}': indeed, tliey didn't seem to give the subject any great thought, farther than to exclaim occasionally that it was ''rough on us," and a "tough one." Sailors always have LKFT ON LABRADOR. 197 ' ' I a vein of recldessnoss in tli(>ir mental procossos. It comes from tlieir manner of life, — its constant peril. They learn tlie uselessness of " borrowing trouble." Once in the night I woke, — woke from a pleasant dream of home. For several seconds I was utterly be- wildered ; did not know where I was. Then it burst upon me ; and such a wave of desolation and trouble broke with the realization, that the tears would start in spite of all shame. It was raining on the green hide overhead with a peculiarly soft patter. The strong odor of burning fat from the fire filled our rude tent ; to which were added the fresh, sick smells from the great newly- butchered carcass of the walrus. The boys were sound asleep, breathing heavily. Guard roused up at our feet to scratch himself, then snuggled down again. The wind howled dismally, throwing down gusts of rain. It dripped and pattered off the skin-covering on to the boat and on to the rocks. Now and then a faint scream from high aloft declared the passage of some lonely sea- bird ; and the ceaseless swash and plash of the sleepless sea filled out in my mind a picture of home-sick misery. It is no time, or at least the worst of all times, to reflect on one's woes in the night when just awakened from dreams : better turn over and go to sleep again. But I had not got that lesson quite so well learned then, and so lay cultivating my wretchedness for nearly an hour, pic- turing our future wanderings among these northern soli- tudes, and our final starvation. " Perchance," I groaned to myself, "in after-years, some party of adventurers may come upon our white bones, what the gluttons leave of them." I even went farther; for I was presuming enough 198 LEFT ON LABRADOR. Hi: 1) ■■': ii to iiuaj^iuc tliiit our meljinclioly disappearance mijijlit be- conio the snl)joct of aoino future ballad. How would it b«'<^iii ? What would tlu'y say of 7ne? What had I done ill the world to deserve any thing by way of a line of praise or a tear of pity? Nothing that I could think of. At best, tbe ballad, if written at all (and of that I was beginning to bave ray doubts tbe more I tbougbt it over), could but run, — " "Whilom in Boston town there dwelt a youth Who ne'er did well except in dying young." Tbat was as far as I could get witli it : in fact, tliat was about all there was to be said by way of eulogy. Tbe S2a seemed to get bold of tliose two lines soinebow, and ktj- "ting tliem witb its eternal swish-sioashf swash-sivish. Tbe rain pattered it out in its heroic pentameters, — Plt-^iat, 2) it-pat, ji it-pat, pj it-pat, pit-p)at! Pitij-pat. pat-pit, pat-pit, pity-pit, pit-pat ! All at oucc ;lie regular rliytlim of tbe sea was broken by a slight :>plasli out of time. Instantly my morbid ear detected it, and I listened intently. Sometliing was splasbing along in tbe water. " Sea-fowl," I bastily assured myself. No, tbat was not likely, eitlier; for it was quite dark, and the sea rather rough. " The Huskies trying to surprise us ? " It might be. Something was certainly splashing the water very near. Why didn't Guard notice it ? Talk about a dog's keen ears ! — there lay the Newfoundland snoring loudest of anybody ! Just then a scraping sound, accompanied LEFT ON LABRADOR. 199 I'! hy a (lull rattling of tlio shingle among tlio rocks, star- tled mo afresli. We were being surprised, stole upon, by something, undoubtedly, llepressing a strong inelimi- tion to yell out, I arose softly, and [)eeped past the droop- ing, flapping side of the walrus-skin. The splashings were now still more distinct ; and I saw, dimly through the rain and darkness, a large, dark object near the water. What could it be ? A hundred fearful fancies darted into my mind. Then there came a gruff snort ; and the great dusky form heaved up higher on the rocks, upon which lay the carcass of the sea-horse. It seemed to be moving around it, making a dull, scraping noise. Sud- denly a deep, norrid groan, ending in a prolonged bellow, burst on the damp air. Guard bounded up with a growl, and rushed out barking. Raed and Kit jumped up. They were all scrambling up. There was a moment of uncertain silence ; then Kit cried, — " Hollo ! What was that ? " " Don't be scared," I said. " It's another walrus, I guess. Keep still ; but get your guns ready." " Another walrus, did you say ? " muttered Kaed, com- ing to look out. " I think it's one come up to smell round the carcass of the one we've killed." " So it is ! " exclaimed Raed. " Like as not, it's this one's mate. What a hideous noise ! " for the huge creature was giving vent to the most terrific snortings and snufflings. We could hear it butt its head against the carcass. '.'It has come round here hunting for its mate," said Kit. " That's its way of showing grief, I suppose." :^i I T 200 LEFT OX LABRADOR. I If Guard was Jaring up to it, barking furiously : but the great beast did not at lirst seem to pay niucli attention to the dog ; till on a sudden it turned, with anotlier dreadful bellowing, — we thought the dog had bitten one of its tail flippers, — and came waddling after him, snort- ing, and gnasliing its tusks. Guard fell back toward our siielter. " Shoot liim! " Raed exclaimed. Kit and Donovan both fired at the monster; but, with ferocious snorts, it kept after the dog. " Hun ! ■' shouted Wi-ymouth. " Out of this ! " for the dog was backing right in upon us. We liad to scurry out in a hurry to avoid being penned there. Guard, like a fool, kept backing in that direc- tion. l>y the time we had got clear of the shelter, he had got himself backed into it ; and, the sea-horse essay- ing to follow him, the oar that held up the skin in front was knocked away, and down it came, bur3Mng the dog, and partially covering iao walrus. A fearful uproar of barking, howling, nnd snorting, followed. I'resently Guard got out from under, and ran yelping oft", leaving his pursuer floundering about under the hide. Kit rushed up, and thrust his bayonet into the creature's ex- posed side ; when with a mighty si^uirm it turned itself, knocking down the boat, and bending our stone wall fly- ing in all directions. The battle was row fairly gun. We all closed in round the animal, thrusting at it witli our bayonets anywhere we could stab. Yet it fought ferociously, with bellowings enough to n-:;ke one's blood run chill. It seemed marvellous how a creature so un- wieldy could turn itself .so rapiclly. Tain and rage made .1 ■*rti*M>i w a w< i« rii 8t ' ii f i ' < rt h 'i i -L'i > 'w i niirrmn -u but the ttentioii another tteu one u, snort- rtrard our Dut, with is!" for 5 penned Lit clirec- lelter, ho ■se essay- in front the dog, iproar of Presently ', leaving de. Kit ure's ex- ed itself, wall fly- '- gun. it it with it fought e's Llood e 80 un- LiLje niado 1 ~7- ../r- :■;.>->!»' ^::^;- ^..7^. % ■ ?s3 / tl u y k- ) i.*: Si?* ''•^:,ia^ 5j^/>i '»T- ■V"2&' j^. .Ht- -v*»- r'^-^ r. 'I/' ■Kfr-- .--—?*•:- -W'r 1 11 s £J 2m 'rhf i'\ '. JJJUiifMi. i< I', m ih-:\^fi >(i':. •:,.inii.^ !.!■ f^ II". !i;i.rkin. faiiou-slj: Jmji. tie ^r-*. i ■•ii". lid u<'t. -it !^^•^i .'5t»foi U> pay much ati«.;uti^'ii r*' ■♦i'.- 'Uf^] t- -r. a KU-iic'ii >{■ ;...ru<.'d, vvlth aai-fijor t:;4M,Hiiu; i>eiS.owi;'g, -— 4Vi; ti...;n;2M»" tht dov luut biUeu '/^iC lag. uxid gnashing ir--. ti.a5->. Gi. rvi. K'Ubikik t'^v.u'd our '•'Shoot him!" I\alaiu)«'u. , ILit ii.i)d DoDovan h'tli tir-'l -A tlu' uv i ri?r; h;-,^ ';v;t,h foroci'>uH «noi.t.°, It kupx aic^'V iho do.^. "iaui!*' shouti^d Wcvm^uith. " (A;t of Ihi^ 1"' /.r i!io dog *.\-iis J/i%';ing rit;-].t in 'ipnii ris. We Imil ^^'1 .scuri'v uat in ;i Lurry 1-- 'ivu.i-] l>eing p^iiiiod ihi'vt!. GuHVu. lilvi- 1 fi-o}, kt'pt i'iiukiti^ -n t'-.it din-r- tioi,. Ilv thi' tjriic w't; h-.d '^dl cioat oO the shoitpr, lio ij:i/i '^Ot iuiiJ;': It * •■» !;,>•<< ;;'•; v V»*i,,;J';' >i'a-hor;_sO vdfcliy- .r.i' ■ uAu u h-sr;, fh*; »• ii t.h.i.r l\'-?tj ii}? UiV 3«<:in iH '"-cut • ;»■• ?.»A«.J;>1 ";<':, !M>r-„>'^ .'.r, and pa -t{>.i;y .'•>*• ,;-ii' •** ...^ *. "- <■••■' ■ ■■' ■ t hiiYk,i)/y !'.•>«'».. .15-! ■ . . ■. . V • 4. t "ly hid..', tv ic- ra8h<;:d up, ujkI tlirusL Id;? bayoiuil iatu llie. creature's ex- •pogod sidt". \v'h<4i v.ith a raighty s'.pdriii it t.iiutni ilhclf. kisocliii:^ '}jj^' i\ thi.^ boat, aud .-'cudiug o.tv .stoju- -A'all ilyr ir.jj iii all dlri- f 'or >. Th<' Uwtio wa. now.^a'rly ))(.'j4;tiTi. \N r. .••* 'd'>Ht»dd'-%nKi(u-i ,"'; . .>«{>fi.iHl, ihrucilir^ it it vvitli our ..■• ui. ■>'>■■, rirM,, vvv -. •.;li a'.ih. \ ' T-fuj^lit rt/i'.f."i.-tu»iv v,,ch V nniWiujrJ «>v i..di Lo-iauko o;.,'.> Idoud i.iji . ! ;!l. i: .V ■.ii«:'d ii.. ''I'-'t '-- uo<* fi .vruii'ure so nji- wieldy twttiii lur ''m! . .' i •; • i'iiiv. aiid r-.igo luade' Jt ' '■■ ■• W ill,,,, . , 35. :i*^*" .■•/:V^" h.j. tie ".J sn* '!'*.- . /anl our -.it, ',vii.h 1 '> (' ,. eiter, lie -.<: i-dfc;uy- ' "-^M!t " '-h . . L "'V mm:; n it uru's ''X- ril ilM>lf. •-vull lIvV y iK'j^'nu. 'r V. -.villi .n.;!it I'luoil »r so un- !|;»; tliUiie' ^» ' s 1-' c, r c C > .«!!!■ I' 'ifl ■ \ \ "if LEFT ON LABRADOR. 201 it no mean antagonist. Once Raed's musket was scut lljMng out of liis liands several rods ; and Wade, thrust- ing at its head, had his bayonet wrenched oft* at a single twist. We afterwards found it bent up and broken. I tliink Weymouth gave it a mortal wound by iiring a bullet into its head ; though Kit and I repeatedly ran our bayonets into its sides clean up to the rings. It succumbed at last, dying hard, with maiiy a finishing thrust. The gray morning light was beginning to outline the dreary shore. The chilly rain still poured. The reader can imagine in what a plight we were. The fire had gone out. Our skin-tent lay in a wad ; and in the midst of our beds sprawled the dead sea-liorse, weltering in its blood ; while we ourselves, drenched with rain and be- spattered with gore, stood round, steaming from our warlike exertions. " This is a pretty how-d'y'-do ! " Kit exclaimed. " Look at our ' shake-downs ! ' — all blood and mire ! " ''Well, we've got another ivood-^jlle" said Donovan. "I wish it had selected a more fitting time to make its appearance," Kaed muttered. " It has demoralized us completely." " Nothing to do but re-organize," laughed Kit. " Get the painter-line. Let's drag him off." That was a heavy job, and took us nigh half an hour. Then there were the blood-soaked moss and tea-plant shrubs to get up and throw away, the wall to rebuild, the boat to set up, and the skin to rep itch on the oars. All tliis time it continued to rain hard, with mingled flakes of snow. A tough time, we called it. And, after t .if m :fc^ .*" 202 LEFT ON LABRADOR. n ^f]ii tlio tont was pitolied again, wc liad no fire; and could only crouch, wot and shivering, on the bare ledge. I never felt more uncomfortable : my bones all ached ; my head ached : I was sick. Wade was worse off than myself even. Tlirowing himself flat on the rock, he buried his face in his arms, and lay so for more than an hour. Kaed and Kit sat blackguarding each other to keep up their spirits. Donovan was trying to dry some pine-splinters to build a fire with by sitting on them. Weymouth was cutting out blubber from the slrinned carcass for the fire, so soon as the splinters could be dried. Two matches were burned trying to kindle the pine-shavings. We thought our fire dearly purchased at such a cost. " Only four more," remarked Donovan gravely. " We nmst not let it go out again," Raed said. " We must sit up, some of us, in future, to tend it." Any thing like the dreary gloom of that morning I hope never to experience again. vSea, sky, and crags seemed all of one color, — lead. Seven or eight miles to southward, the mountains of the mainland (Labrador) showed their black bases under the fog-clouds. The great island to the south-east seemed to have been dipped in ink, so funereal was its hue. The rain had frustrated our attempt at salt manufac- ture. We had to take our breakfast of fried goose in all the freshness of nature. Our clothes gradually dried on us. During the forenoon Kit sallied out on a hunting- excursion, and, about noon, returned with a fine, plump, canvas-backed duck, which we ate for our dinner. \\l "We LEFT ON LABRADOR. 203 Toward four o'clock it stopped raining. Donovan and Woyraouth improved the chance to skin the sea- horse we ]iad killed during the night. It was rather larger than the first one, and had prodigious stiff, wiry whiskers about its upper lip, some of which wo kept for a curiosity. They were over a foot in length, and as large as a coarse darning-needle. The tusks, too, were broken out, and laid aside. During the night it faired; and the morning was sunny. Wade had become very unwell. He had taken cold from his drenching, and was shivering and feverish by turns. His courage, too, was clean down to zero. He kneio we should never see home again, and didn't seem to care whether he lived or not. That is about as bad a way as a fellow can get into ever. I was little better than sick myself; and, while the others went off after eggs and game, I staid to keep the fire going and take care of Wade. No small stint I had of it too ; for he was peevish and touch}'- as a J'^oung badger. I knew he ought to take something hot of the herb-tea sort, and so started off and gathered a dipperful of the tea-plant leaves. Then, getting a lump of ice, I melted it, and made a strong dish of the " tea." Wade was lying under the shelter, face down into his coat-sleeve. Carry- ing in the steaming dipper, I told him I thought he had better take some of it : it would, I hoped, help his ©old, &c. No : he wouldn't touch it ! I then reasoned a while. This not having any per- ceptible effect, I next resorted to coaxing. No: he wouldn't drink the stinking stuff I !ii i'ii Jill w tt i J IP 20-1: LEFT ON LAISUADOR. Now, no doctor, I take it, likes to liavo liis potions calltid ''stinlviiig stuff." I began to renioustnite ; and from lluit — not Leing in a very aniial>lo i'ramo oi' mind — i ere long got mad, and was on the point of pitcliing into the sutterer, when it occurred to me that for a doctor to be caught thrasliing his patient would be a very un- becoming spectacle ! So I contented myself with giving liim a "setting-up;" calling him, according to the best of my : "collections, su[)ported by the subsequent testi- mony of the patient, an " ungrateful dog," " j)eep," "nincompoop," et ah.: after listening to wdiich for a space, Wade got up and drank the tea. Peace was immediately restored with this act of obedience ; and E proceeded to get him to bed. Pulling down the boat, I filled it half up with such of the shrubs and moss as had not been besmirched with the blood of the walrus. Wade then got into it. I made him a pillow of tho geese-feathers by piling them into the bow under his head, and spreading over them my pocket-handkerchief. I next had him take off his boots, and set a hot rock from the fire at his feet. What to cover him up with was something of a problem. I managed it by putting on a layer of the moss, and laying the thwarts of tho boat over this. Then, feeling somewhat fatigued after my labors, I crept in with him ; and, ere long, wo both went to sleep. The hunting-party coming back two or three hours after, laden with eggs and brant geese, awoke me. Wade was sweating profusely beneath tho boards and moss. We took care not to wake him till near eight o'clock, evening; when he got up, consider- ably better. :'WTir i i- m C » i *m'i ' < Kf> ' i»i > mti * J t lU i a i LKKT UN LAliUADOR. L'U5 The next day (July 26) was spent in tlie uuimifacturo of salt; not the manutacture of it exactly, either, but the extraction of it from sea-water. We were getting perfectly frantic for salt. The fresh food sickened us. I think wo should soon have been really ill from tho want of it. Filling the hollow in the ledge with tho sea-water, we first tried to get fire enough about it to make tho water boil. This we found it impossible to do, and so had recourse to a plan suggested by Kit. It was to get eight or ten stones about the size of ^he tin bumper, and heat them in the fire. When red-hot, these were tjuccessively rolled into the water in the hollow, raising great clouds of steam, and soon causing it to boil furiously. Continuing this stone-heating process for three or four hours, we succeeded in boiling away fully half a dozen pailfuls of water. There was then found to be a thin stratum of salt deposited along the bottom of the hollow. How we crowded around it, wetting the ends- of our fingers, and licking it up ! Eggs were then fried by the dozen, and eaten with a relish that only salt can give. I should add; however, that this appeared to me to be a very poor quality of salt ; or else it had other mineral matter mixed with it, giving it a slightly bitter taste. The quantity obtained at this our first boiling was so small, that we ate it all that night, and with our break- fast next morning. The next forenoon was passed boiling down a second vatful. Wade and I attended to the salt-making, while the rest of the party went oil to the islet next to the west after eggs and game. In the evening we provided t r I M' I 20G LEFT ON LABRADOR. It li ourselves with fresli " shake-downs " of moss and the tea-j)lant. The 28th was devoted hy Raed, Kit, and Donovan to a trip down to the mainUind on the south, llaed wanted to see wliat sort of a country it was, with a view to our attempt at going down to Nain in case " The Curlew " sh(nild not come back. They did not get back till nine in the evening. They had found the hills and moun- tains along the coast to be mere barren ridges of lichen- clad rock, with moss-beds in the hollows. But from the summit of the high ridge, about two miles in from the shore, the}'- had seen with the glass, to the south- ward, what seemed to be low thickets of stunted ever- green, — fir or spruce. From this Raed argued that fuel might be obtained by a party travelling through the country ; and, from that, went on to picture these thickets to abound with deer and hares. IM 1 m i 1 $ lljili ^M "^ b Wm 1 the IKI »van to wanted to our urlevv " ill nine moiui- liclien- uom the in from } south- id evor- ed that ugh the thickets '1 1 CHAPTER XIII. More Salt. — Some Big Hailstones. — A Bright Aurora. — Tiie Lookout. — An Oomiak heaves la .Sight. — Tlie Huskies laud on a Xeicjiiboiing Island. — Shall we join them? — A Bold. .Singular, not to say Inlamuus, Proposition from Kit. — Some Sharp Talk.- Kit's Project carried by Vote. DURING the 29th, 30th, and 31st (Sunday) of the month, we were employed much as upon the UTth ; viz., boiling for salt, and egging along the clilfs. We wanted to get as much salt on hand as possible ; and, by untiring industry, succeeded in getting about a quart ahead. But to do this we had been obliged to keep up a smart fire, which had consumed nearly all the walrus- blubber from both carcasses. Where to get tlie next 8Ui)ply of fuel was an open question. No more sea- horses had showed themselves. ^'^' concluded that this pair were all that had been in the vicinity. On the night of the 31st, a terrible storm of wind, thunder, and hail, swept across the straits from the north-west. Raed picked up hailstones in front of our shl'lter, after the cloud had passed, which were two inches and a lialf in diameter. They struck down upon the rocks with almost incredible violence. Any ordinary canvas-tent would have been riddled by them ; but our 207 ili i 208 LEFT ON LAIJUADOU. tough walrus-skin bore tlio brunt, and .sUultcrod us com- plotcly. Tlio sea, during the iuiil-fiill, set-nied to boil with a loud peculiar roar, and was white with bubbles and foam. There was a very bright aurora the follow- ing night. The n'3xt morning was fair; but a ghastly greenish haze gave the sky an aspect of strange pallor. Somehow we felt uneasy under it. After breakfast, Kit and I went up to the top of the ledges overlooking the straits to the north, east, and west, to see if we could discover any vessels. Some of us used generally to make our way up here every fon r five hours to take a long look. For an hour we s dng off on the heaving expanse, flecked white with ice-patch, and bounded far to the north by a low line of black moun- tains. The breadth of the straits here was not far from seventeen leagues. "Seven days since we were retired here," Kit re- marked at length. Seven days ! It seemed seven ages. " Kit, what do you think of the chance of our getting off from here ? " " Wash, I don't know : I don't dare to think." "Do you really believe Capt. MazL^rd will como back?" " Why, if he's not captured, nor wrecked in a gale, nor jammed up in the ice, he will come back." " You have no doubt he will come back if he can ? " " Why, no : I know he will come if he can. He wouldn't leave us here. Besides, you know, Wash, that we owe him and all the crew for his and their services. I don't say that they would come back any quicker on . us com- 1 to boil I bubbles 10 follow- a, ghastly yQ pallor, kfast, Kit erlooking see if we geuerally hours to off on the atch, ami i,ck moun- )t far from J) Kit re- ur getting k." will como a gale, nor lie can ? " can. He ^Vash, that iir services. quicker on LEFT ON LABRADOR. 209 that account: still they would be likely to want their pay, you know." '' That's true." "But, Kit, if 'The Curlew' shouldn't make its ap- pearance, do you believe we could get down to Nain, or any of those Esquimau coast-villages ? " " I don't know, Wash : we could try." " Seven hundred miles through such a country as this I "Would it be possible ? " " It would be no ise to stay here, you know, if we found the schooner wasn't coming back. We must, of course, make an effort to get away. It would bo foolish to stay here till winter came on. I don't suppose it would be possible for us to winter here : we should freeze to death in spite of every thing we could do. Tiie cold is awfully intense through the winter months. Not even the Es- quimaux ay to winter on the straits here. Besides, it's about time for the sea- fowl to fly southward. We can't live after they're gone." "But only think of a sixty-days' tramp over these barren mountains! Our boots wouldn't last a hundred miles ! Our socks are worn through now ! " "Have to make moccasons." " We never should get through alive. I don't believe Wade would stand it to go a quarter of the distance. He's sick now, and, worse still, has no courage. He acts strangely." " Wade will rally when worst comes to worst, and be the head man in extremities." " Do you think so ? " "I do. Wade is kind of hot-blooded, you know. - 14 ' II til T M i . 210 LEFT ON LABKADOR. Being left here so sudden struck him all in a lioap. But he will show blood yet, if it comes to a real hand- to-hand struggle to save our lives. A boy tliat tool: his musket, and went right into a fair, stand-up battlo of his own accord, as they say Wade did, won't give in here without showing us anotlier side to his character. One thing, he feels the cold here worse than we do : it pinchas him all up. But he will come out of his dumps yet. Don't badger him : he won't leave his bones here. Seriously, I have more fear for Weymouth and Donovan than for Wade. That is most always the way where there's hardship and suffering. Your great, strong, thoughtless fellow is the first to give out and fail U[/. You mark my words, now. If we have to undertake this journey, Wej'mouth and Donovan will be the first to sicken and fall behind. I don't believe they would ever get through it. But, after the first three days, Wade would lead us all. He will sort of rally and rise as the peril and hardship increase. He is kind of dis- couraged now. because he sees what's before us, and has to muster his energies to meet it ; but he is getting a reserve of will-force in store. There's a good deal In that, I tell you ! A strong will has carried many a fel- Lw through hardships that would have killed men of twice the muscle without the will ; and that's the way it will be with our two sailors, I'm afraid." " But I am not in favor of making this trip overland," Kit added after we had sat musing a few minutes. " Wliat do you proi)ose ? " "I thiidc it best to work out of the straits in our boat, if we can." I it*_ IM LEFT ON LABRADOR. 211 I liad thouGjl't of tliat plan, ''We could inake a sail out of tliis walrus-liido, and watch our cliaiu <» with a favorable hreczc to scuil us along from it^let to islet on the south side here. We could run down into Ungava Bay, clean to the foot of it ; and then, I'^aving tlie boat, go across to Naln. It couldn't be moro than a hundred and iifty miles from the foot of the bay. We could start off, and, with a strong spurt, do it in a week from that place, I think. We siiould, at least, bo suro of getting seals for food. But Ilaed don't think it best.'' " Why not ? " "Well, he Siiys, that, b} the time we get into Un- gava Bay, it will begin to freeze ice nights, enough to stop us. lie thinks, too, that we should sulfer a good deal more from cold on the water than on the land. Then wo should have to wait for favorable winds, and he laid up through storms, besides the danger of get- ting capsized in gusts, and caught in the ice-patches. But he has agreed to leave it to the party to decide. I know the two sailors will vote to go by boat ; but I'm not sure lia^ul is i.^ right, after all. lie's a better judge than any of the i i. of us, I do suppose. I have a hor- ror of starting oil' inland, though." A very reasonable horror, I considered it. Any thing but toiling over sterile mountains, for me. We sat there for a long time loolving off, pondering the situation. Suddenly my eye caught on a tiny brown speck far to the nortlrvard. I watched it a mo- ment, then spoke to Kit. He took out his glass and looked. m 212 LEFT ON LABRADOR. L m ip A liy^i ih yv VpMHIk.. " Tliat's some sort of a boat," he said at leiigtli. " Jh'owu sail! That's a JIusky boat, I reckon, — an ootniak.'^ I took tlie glass. The craft was heading southward ; coming, it seemed, either for the i-let we were on, or else the large island to the soutli-cast. I could see black heads under the large, irregular sail. '' Coming down to the Labrador side," Kit remarked. " I've heard that they spend tlie summer on the north side of the straits ; go up in the s[)ring, and come back hero to Labradtjr in the latter part of the season." "There are kajaks with it," he said, with the glass to liis eye, — "one on each side ; and there are one or two, perhaps more, behind." In the course of an hour it had come down withiu three miles, bearing oif toward the large island. " Wc had best get out of siglit, I guess," Kit observed. "Don't care to attract them or frighten them." We went back a little behind the rocks ; and Kit ran down to tell the rest of the party. They came back with tiiem, — all but Weymouth^ who was not very well, and hail lain down for a nap. " That's a big oomiak ! " exclaimed Kaed, taking a long look at it. " Ouo — two — three — five — seven laiijaks." " How many do you make out in the big boat ? " Kit asked. " Nineteen — twenty ; and I don't know how many behind the sail," Kaed replied. " Those are the women and children, I suppose," Wade said. , ( t length. on, an utliward ; ;re on, or could SCO L-oniarlced. the north onie back DR." le glass to ne or two, vn within d. ; observed. id Kit ran back with r well, and ,, taking a e — seven oat?" Kit how many )se,'' Wado LEFT ON LAHRADOR. 213 "Wade's tliinking of the Husky belles," Kit re- marked with a wink to me; "of the one he gave the scarf to. Let's see : what was her name ? " ^^ Ikeivna,''^ I suggested. " I've noticed Wade has been a little distrait for some time," Raid observed. "Possible he sighs for the beau- teous Ua'Avna ! " Wade laughed. "Somebody else was a little sweet on a certain yel- low-gloved damsel : rather stout she was, if I recollect aright. Mind Mho that was, Eaod?" "Ah! you refer to P?«s.s«//," Rr.ed replied. "Well, she was a trifle adipose. ]?ut that's a merit in this country, I should judge. Lean folks never could stand these winters." "And where now is the beautiful 'White Goose,' I wonder ! " Kit exclaimed. "And black-eyed Cuabvick!" said I. "Answer, Echo ! " " This crew may be a part of the same lot," Donovan suggested. " It ^sn't likely," said Raed. ""We arc^ now a hundred and fifty miles farther west than the MifMle Savage Isles. It is hardly possible. But I dare say tluy are as much liil;e them as peas in a pod." The onmiak passed us about a mile to the eastward, and, approaching the shore of the large island, was lutVed up to the wind handsomely. More than a dozen dogs leaped out, and went s[)lasliing to the shore. The men landed from the kayahs, and, wading out into the watei-, laid bold of the ooniiak, and, guiding it in on the swell, f t \ (■ III i i| I; ' 214 LEFT ON LABRADOR. carried it up laigli and dry. Several of the children had jumped out with the dogs. . Tlie women, old folks, and younger children, now followed. The shore fairly swarmed. We could hear them shouting, screaming, and jabhering, and the dogs barking. Guard looked off and growled slightl}'^, turning his great dark eyes in- quiringly to our faces. " He don't like the looks of them," said Donovan : " remembers the fuss he had with them w-hen they chased Palmleaf and him." " They seem to be preparing to stop there, I should say," Kit remarked. " They've pulled up the oomiah some way from the water, out of reach of the tide, and are unloading it. There are quantities of skins, tents, harpoons, with trumpery, — going off from the shore toward the middle of the island." They had not seen us; and, after watching them dis- appear among the barren hillocks, ^^e went back to our camp for dinner. Unless they came along to the ex- treme western end of the large island, they would not discover our camp. At first, we decided to have nothiiig to do with them. We had nothing in the "c/i?/?;io" line except Wade's broken bayonet. They would only be a nuisance with us. "I>ut, if we could contrive to make them catch, seals for us for fuel, it might be worth while to cultivate their acquaintance a little," Kit suggested. " If we could get a seal a day from them for our iire, it might be a good plan enough," Wade thought. "But we've nothing to pay them with; unless wo !- Iron had Iks, and 3 fairly L-eamiiig, oked off eyes in- )onovan : en tliey I should oomiah tide, and ns, tents, from the from the hem dis- .ck to our ) the ex- i^ould not 13 nothing '•'■ chymo " 3uld only atch- seals 'ate their r our fire, ht. unless wo LEFT ON LABRADOR. 215 paid them in promises of iron and knives when our ship comes hack," I said. " I don't suppose our greenhacks would he a legal tender with them." "But, in case 'The Curlew' should not come hack, we might not be able to redeem our promises," Eaed re- marked. "In that case," said Kit, "we might as well marry all their daughters, and take up our abode here. As their sons-in-law, we could perhaps excuse it to them." "Possibly the daughters might object to this arrange- ment," said Wade. "Why, you don't doubt your ability to win the affec- tions of a Husky belle, do you ? " demanded Kit, laugh- ing. " I doubt if our accomplishments would be rated very high among the fair Esquimaux," said liaed. "Not to be able to catch seals is deemed a great disgrace with them. Our going to them to beg seal-blubber w-ould be a very black mark. We should be looked upon much in the light of paupers. No young Husky thinks of pro- posing to his lady-love till he has become an expert seal- catcher." " It seems hard not to be thought eligible even by a Husky family," Kit observed. " But let's go over there and see what we can do. If we can't trade with them, we might lay them under contribution by force of arms. What say to beginning our career as conquerors by sub- jugating that island of Esquimaux, and levying a seal- tax ? That's the way our Saxon ancestors first entered England. Has the sanction of history, you see, — as far down even as the ex-emperor Napoleon III." Yi t ' 1 M m Tu^ 216 LEFT ON LABRADOR. " You can't be in earnest," said Kaed, suddenly look- ing round to him. " I am," said Kit. " Decidedly the easiest way (for us) to deal with them. If we were to go over there with a show of authority, they wouldn't make much resistance, I'm very sure. We would take possession of their oomlak. That would hold them to the island. They couldn't get off witliout that, — at least, the women and children couldn't ; and the men would not desert their families." " Now, there's a scheme of rapine worthy of Caesar ! " sneered Raed. " Kit, I am ashamed of you ! " "I don't care. We're in a tight place. I don't mean them any harm. But, if we are going to be dependent on them for our supplies, it will be much better for us to have them under our authority. Tliey're a mere set of ignorant heathens. We know more than they do ; and it is but foir that the wisest should govern." "That's the very argument the old piratical sea-kings of Norway used to use ! " Raed exclaimed. " It's about a thousand years behind civilized times ! " "Not so far behind the times as that, I guess," Kit replied. "But I don't care: this is a force-put with us. Wo don't want to place ourselves in the power of those savages. Yet we need their assistance, — assistance for whicli we will repay them well when 'The Curlew' comes, - if it comes. Now, I say it is best for us, and will be better for them, to have them do as we want them to while we are on their island." '■ In a wurd, you propose to make slaves of them," re- niarliod Raed. " You mean to deprive their of the'r lib- erty." LEFT ON LA BK A DOR. 217 f " .-kiiigs " Yes, to a certain extent, I Jo." " I am sorry to hear you talk in this way. 1 liopcd no citizcui of a free State wouhl use hmguage like that." " Sorry to shock your sincere convictions," replied Kit ; '•' hut when it conxes to making slaves of others, or being a slave myself, I should choose the former alter- native always." " But there's no such alternative in this case," Haed argued. "Not exactly. Still I shall hold to my first opinion. If we are going to take supplies from them, — as it seems necessary that we should, — I think it will be better to have them under our control as long as we are here. You mistake me: I don't justify it from principle; but, as a temporary measure, I think it expedient." " So was it expedient for the old Komaus to attack and capture Corinth and Carthage, and just as fair and right." " That merely shows how history repeats itself," laughed Kit. "Don't laugh, sir! "cried E,aed. "The principle is the same, as if, with a hundred thousand men at your back, you should land in England, and undertake to sub- due that island instead of this." " You have a very forcible way of putting things, I'll lillow ; but there's danger, Ilaed, of carrying general prmciples too far." ''For example," interrupted Wade. "Eacd, with anuiu- ber of other abolitionists, believed that all men ought to be free: so they kept to work stirring up bad feeling be- tween the North and South till the war broke out, when s-, t y j:[ ' 1^ it 218 LEFT ON LABRADOR. ■ia IS I i it :. -r tliey fell upon us with their armies and fleets, and com- mitted the most wliolesale piece of ruhhery that ever disgraced history, — robbed us of several billion dollars' worth of property, all at one swoo[)." " To what sort of property do you refer ? " Raed asked. " Slaves." " I thought so ! " " Then you are not disappointed in my ' principles,' as you choose to term them ? " " Not in the least ! " " I, at least, have never tried to conceal them." " I should expect you to favor Kit's proposition ; but I'm sadly surprised to hear Kit make it." " Understand me ! " exclaimed Kit. " I advocate it merely as a temporary measure, only justified by our necessity. I mean to pay them for all we have. But we haven't the pay here. They wouldn't tru;st us for what we want. Under these circumstauces, I mean to assume the control of their afliiirs for a few days or weeks, as the case may be, and get what we must have by force of authority — till we can pay." " It's nothing more nor less than robbery. Kit : ' cried Kaed ; " a mere subterfuge, in open violation of the free principles of the noble land we hail from ! " "Too bad, I know," said Kit; "but 'needs must where a certain person drives.' " " Kit, you shock me ! Do you not believe in an all- wise Providence ? " " Generally speaking, yes." " A Power that takes care of us ? " " Yes, again ; but it's after a sort not very flattering to the personal vanity of us poor mortals." 1 LEFT ON LABRADOR. 210 Jl-liig "One would naturally suppose, that, situated as wo aro at present, where the prospect of our getting through the next six months is so poor, you would hesitate at l)rovoking that Power hy such an act as this you pro- pose." "Raed, that's all hosh ! If you moan to ask me if T believe that there is a Power that will interfere miracu- lously to rescue us from freezing or starving here, I answer promptly, I do not. God doesn't work so. l*er- sons have to take the consequences of their own acts in this world, now-a-days. And as regards tempting Prov- idence by doing any thing of the sort I proposed, — tempting it to some act of vengeance on us, — bosh again! God doesn't work that way at all. Pesides, to come back to the subject in hand, I've no conscientious scru- ples about it; fori believe it to be the best thing wo can do." " I protest ! " Eaed exclaimed. " It is neither just nor right!" " Well, how's this matter to be settled ? " Wade de- manded. " I suppose so rigid a republican as Paod will be willing to have it decided by vote? " "Yes," said Ilaed, "though I lament the issue. Call our names, Kit. Those in favor of Kit's proposition will vote ' Yea : ' those who believe it wrong will vote 'Xay.'" Kit's voice trembled a little as he begai.. " Pvaed ? " "Nay." " Wash ? " "Nay." 1 ■ 10 \ \ H 1 : B 1 SI • kflll I i Hi If'. >■:'* 11 ; |ttj| ; I H 1 i 1 1 ■| « •'**.'• -.s diM 220 LEFT ON LABRADOR. "Wade?" ■ « Yea." " Donovan ? " " Yea." "Weymouth?" "Yea." "Not to inckulo my own vote with the affirmative, there is a majority in favor of the measure we have just discussed," said Kit gravely. " Please put it in words," said Ilaed. " Why, we all know what I mean," replied Kit. " lUit I want to hear it stated," insisted Ilaed. " Well, then, there is a majority in favor of the tem- porary occupation and control of yonder island, — a meas- ure justified by our necessity." " You have put it very mildly," remarked Kaed. " I should give it in very different terms. Kit, I am dis- gusted with this movement. I can't give it any sympa- thy whatever."- " You are not going to secede, I hope," sneered Wade. "I am not," said Eaed, turning in a passion. "I am, I hope, too good a patriot to be a secessionist, much less a 7'ehel." For a moment they looked straight at each other. AVade's eyes snapped, and his hands clinched. " Here, here ! — come, none of that ! " exclaimed Kit, " or I'll thrash both of you. Wade, you are to blame. You said the first unkind thing. You ought to ask his pardon." " He needn't do that," said Raed. " I was to blame as well as he." '»%.. LEFT ON LABRADOR. 221 rmativo, ave just "Well, that's raajTiianimona ! " exclaimed Wa l/J'i 224 LEFT ON LABRADOR. I I <: I We follo\V('(l tlieir trail up from tliuir canoes ; and, after crossing several ledgy ridges, at length espied tlieir en- campment, distant about half a mile from the water. It Avas in a holhjw, surrounded by crags and rocks. The place had probably been chosen on account of its shel- tered situation. It was doubtless an old haunt of theirs. "Now form in line, boys," Kit requested, "and move on steadily ! " We did so, Guard walking soberly behind us. There were five tents of seal-skin clustered together near what we discovered to be a spring, or ran, of water. Half a dozen Huskies were in sight, moving about the camp; and, the moment our approach was vliscovered, they came pouring out to the number of thirty or forty. As we came up, a few scattered, and ran olf among the crags ; but the greater part stood huddled together. " Now keep cool, boys ! " Kit advised. " Don't fire in any case, unless I give the word, — except Wade. Ho may fire his musket in the air when we come close to them, by way of giving them a foretaste of what we can do." When we had come up fjicing them to within three or four yards, Kit gave the order to halt. Wade fired his musket. The swarthy, long-haired crowd stared hard at us in perfect silence. Kit then advanced a little, and pointing to us, and then to himself, exclaimed in a loud voice, — " Cob-loo-nak ! " (" Englishmen ! ") And, b}' waj'of giving emphasis to the announcement, he repeated it several times. Then, pointing off' to the ef^st and north, he said, — mmmmmmmmmM LEFT ON LABUADOIi. " Oomiak-sook ! " C' Big ship ! ") And, when tliis liad been duly repeated, lio cried out, — " Chymo — annay ! " (" The trade is far otV! ") " Now the next tiling is to seize tlie oom'utk,''^ said he. " We will make them help us bring it up here. I'll de- tail a party for that pur[)ose." He now pointed oti' to the shore with the word oomiak, and, stepping up to one of the men, laid his hand on his shoulder, and made signs for him to go with us. The man, a stout, short fellow, seemed partly to comprehend his meaning, and rather reluctantly moved out from his fellows. " Wo shall want as many as seven or eight of them," remarked Wade. " Form a ring around this one, then, while I get out another," said Kit. But the second one backed off as Kit approached lifm, gesticulating, and shouting, ''Na-?7ilck, na-mick / " and, on Kit's laying his hand on his shoulder, he let out a "straight left " with considerable vim, " Donovan," said Kit, " take hold of him ! " Don made a rush, and, clutching one hand into liis liair, shook him about, tripped him up, and held the point of the butcher-knife at his throat. The savage 1 owled and begged. With a single effort Donovan set him on his feet, and thrust him into the ring. The third, fourth, and fifth man came out at a mere tap on the shoulder. But the sixth — a little dark fellow — jumped !)ack when Kit stopped up to him, and strurk with a rough dagger-shaped weapon made of a walrus- 16 r-i !-H 22r> LKFT ON LABRADOR. tusk. ludeeil, it was a wonder lu^ liad not stabbed him; Ibi" the movement was rijmarkably <|uick and cat-like. Donovan sprauj^ lorward; but Kit caught his ii^m, and dealt him a blow with his list that sent him reeling to the ground. Don seized him by the collar of his bear- skin smock, and, with a twitch and a kick, sent him spinning into the ring. Several of tlie remaining men had run to their tents, and now re-appeared with har- poons in their hands. Kit took his musket, and, walk- ing up to one of them, struck the dart out of his hand with a tweak of the bayonet, and then walked him along to the ring. " I guess seven will be enough," said Wade. "Well, keep round them," replied Kit. "Don't let 'em get away from us. Ready ! Forward, march ! " We turned to go down to the oomiak, and had pro- ceeded a few steps, when some of the savages about the huts suddenly shouted ^'Ka-A'a, ka-ka ! " In an in- stant their dogs, which had been growling and prowling about all the time, rushed after us, barking madly. Guard was a little behind us. They set upon him like hungry wolves, ^uch a barking and snarling ! Kit antl Wade, who formed the rear-guard, ran to the rescue. Wade laid on them with the but of his musket; while Kit, with his bayonet, gave several of the gaunt, woliish curs thrusts which speedily changed their growls to yelps of agony. The savages cried out dismally. Evclamations of "il/Zf/jc'e .^ " '^Arkatmickeel^^ '" Parut viirkeef besought us not to kill them. They had set them on to us, nevertheless. The dog riot suppressed, wo moved on down to the shore. The oouiiuk was then m- LKF T ON LADIIADOR. 007 turned bottom up, and the mast which luul supported their sail thrust undor it transversely about ten feet back of tlie bows. This mast was a stick of yellow pine, from Labrador probably, about fifteen feet long. It projected four or five feet on each side, — far enough for them to take hold to carry the ooniiak on it. Wade ran out to our boat and brought one of the oars, which was thrust under, near the stern, in the same way. Kit then stationed six of the Huskies at the mast-pole forward, three on each side : the other he placed at the stern end of the scow. \Veymoutli took hold of one end of tho jDaddle, and Donovan the other. Kit then made signs to the Huskies to lift at their pole. They raised it ; and the sailors lifting the stern at the same time, and walking on, we had it fairly started. It was pretty heavy, how- ever. The Esquimaux soon b(\'^an to pant ; seeing which, we had them set it down and rest every thirty or forty rods. We were near an hour getting back to their huts. They had worked well. Their part of the load must have been somewhat over a hundred poujids per man, we thought. "IJetter than niggers; a great deal better," Wado pronounced them. " I'm not sure that it wouldn't be a good plan to import them into the United States to work on our railroads." " For slaves, 1 sui>pose," said Rai'd. "No; not for slaves. Now that slavery is fairly abolished, I am not much in favor of its re-estal)lisli- ment. Take them down to work for fair wages. Should as lief have them as to have the Chinese, and risk it >» •I r "I I I :f^ h< Hi i I i i J1 'i' .^. ' LEFT ON I-ABUADOK. "That makes me think," Kit remarked, "that I have read that some ethuologists think the Esquimaux are a brancli of tlie Chinese nation." "You would send vessels like the cooly ships up here to kidnap them, J. suppos;/' Kaed observed. " You could only carry them vay by main force. They are too much attached to their bleak home to leave it volun- tarily." '' Well, what of that," said Wade. " Don't be so dreadfully afraid to have a little force used ! If it would permanently better their condition, why not briiij; the whole nation of them farther south by force. A horde of iji;norant savages like these don't always know what's best for them, by a long sight. If all these polar tribes could be brought down into a mikhsr climate, it would be vastly better for them. So of the ignorant, brutish negroes of Africa : if they could be got out of their bar- barous luiunts, and brought up into the latitude of Kew York and l*aris, it would be vastly better for them ; and they miglit be matle to do something useful in the world. IMillions of hands are lying idle in Africa, which, under proper direction, might be turned to some; acconnt, jind made to contribute both to the world's progress and their own happiness. IJut, of course, such savage tribes wilt never move of thtfir own i;ccord : it remains for more enlightenej We let them rest an liour after bringing up the oomlah ; then started them back to bring up our own boat, with our spider and walrus-skins. This took till n(\'irly six o'clock, evening. The walrus-skins were then unrolled, and spread out on the ground. "Xow we want these sewed together," said Kit: " then we can pitch them on their ooni'mk-mAni for a tent-pole." Wade spread out the two skins so that the edges touched each other : then, beckoning to one of the men, he pointed first to the edges, next to the scams where the hide had been sewed on the oonilaA', then off to the huts, pronouncing the word '' hennela//^'' ("woman"). The savage umhjrstood him in a moment, and went oil' into the hut. rresenlly two chubby facx'S a[>peur('d ut the doorway, but slirank back the moment we espied them. We could hear a great talking and urging going on inside. After a v^ ile, when we hail gone to move the oonihik round so as to form one side of a sort of fort, th"y stole out, and came reluctantly along, the man following them, appanMitly to keep thi'ui from e.sca[)ing. Beeing them ap})roaching, Kit and Wade went to meet tluMu, snuling and bowing, and [jointing to the walrus-skins. They knew what was wanted, and fill to worlc to sew the two hides together, occasionally ca>ting shy eyes %i 230 LEFT ON LAmiADOR. I toward us. What amused us was, that each was tlio exact counterpart of the other. They were just of a size, and of tlie same height. Face, f(;atures, and ex- pression were ich'ntical. Tlie man, who miglit possibly have been their fatlier, but more probably tlieir elder brotlier, saw our amazed looks, and said " Bl-coit-suk : " at least, it sounded like that. The meaning of the word we could only guess at. IJut, if hl-coli-suk does not mean twins, I am greatly mistaken. On questioning the man, using the word I'ina, and pointing to each, we i'jarned, after he understood us, that one was named JVutvhee, and the other Wunchee. The meanings of these words I have no need to translate : they were de- cidedly significant, and amused us a good deal. For sewing the hides together they used an awl of bone. The thread, which was of the sinew of some animal, was thrust through the awl-holos like a shoemaker's waxed- end, and drawn tight. AVhen they liad linishcd, Kit gave JVutchce (or Wunchee, for the life of me I couldn't tell which) a half dozen pins from a round pin-ball ho cherished, and three or four bright nickel five-cent bits. Wade then gave Wunchee (';*) his pen-knife, and an old cutf-bvitton he happened to hav(^ in his pocket. They accepted these i)resi;nts as modest as you jdease ; but it did seem a little droll to see them immediately fall to licking them all over with their tongues. The^^ did not seem to a(;t as if the}' considered the gifts fairly their own till they had Itrkcd them. We had not observed this practice among thosi; who Ijoarded us at the ISIiddle Savage Isles ; but with these the custom seemed a universal one among the women. Kven if the gift were LEFT ON LABRADOR. 231 axcJ- Kit Idii't all ho bits. I old Th.y ut it II to not tDi'ir rvt'd Idle il a \v\io a rusty nail, they would lick it all the same. It is said that the mothers lick their young children over like she- hears. Wade also gave the man who had aecoiii[)anied them the point of his broken bayonet. The fellow looked it over, and then, getting his harpoon, unlashed the bono blade, and substituted the bayonet-point in its place. " He seems to understand its use," Kit remarked, " Hope he won't experiment with it on us unawares." The walrus-skins were then raised on the ooni'uik mast, the edges resting on the bottoms of our boat and the ooitilak, placed on both sides. Stones laid along the edges held them in place. Not to be too near our sub- jects (for they were rather noisy, and smelled pretty strong of rancid fat), we had placed our tent about two hundred feet away from their huts. While the rest had been pitching the tent, Wade and Weymouth had con- structed a rough arch of stones, and set our spider in the top of it as we had previously arranged it. " Heady for the seal ! " said Wade. " They've got seal-blubber about their huts ; I saw some of the young ones eating chunks of it," Donovan remarked. Several of the men had come round where wo were at work, and among them the little dark chap who had tried to stab Kit. Wade went along to him, and point- ing to his own mouth, aiul then toward the mouths of the rest of us, said, "P//*'.w//" (''Seal"). But the fel- low was still sullen, and stared defiantly. " Have to discipline him a little, I reckon," Kit mut- tered. 1,1 ! K? I) '.r : I : t «1 ' I " i ' i \ I- I ! i f !■ .•^*^. 232 LEFT ON LAHIUDOR. Again Wade pronounced the word pussay, pointing off toward their huts. "Na-mickf" exclaimed the Esquimau fractiously. "Na-mick ! Ik 2>ee-o nar-kat hok ! " swinging his arms. "T/c pee-o askut ammee j^ussaj/f" "Any idea what he said?" Wade asked, turning to Kit. " No : but it was a refusal ; I know by his actions. — Donovan, there's another job for you ! " Don went off a little to one side, and, working up toward him, made a sudden lunge, and had him by the h'vir in a twinkling. Such a shaking as the poor wretch got ! Then, with a quick trip, Donovan laid him flat on his back, and, jerking out his big knife, began strapping it ominously on his boot-leg. Oh, how the terrified sav- age howled! Raed turned away in disgust. After frightening him nearly into fits with the knife, the stal- wart sailor with a twitch threw him across his knee, and applied the flat of the butcher-knife to the seat of his seal-skin trousers with reports that must have been dis- tinctly audible for a quarter of a mile. All the Huskies came rushing up, screaming and gesticulating. The dogs barked. There was a general uproar. After three or four dozen of these emphatic reminders of arbitrary power, Donovan set the shrieking wretch on his feet, and, still holding on to his hair, shouted in his face the word pus- say a dozen times in a tone that might have been heard on the neighboring islands. Kit and Wade and Wey- mouth all fell to shouting the same word ; catching the meaning of which, more than a dozen of the Hus- kies, men and women, ran to their huts, iuxd brought % LEFT ON LABRADOR. 233 ', pointing L'actiously. his arms. :urning to ictions. — Driving up im by the )or wretcli im flat on strapping rilied sav- t. After , the stal- knee, and iSit of his been dis- 3 Huskies The dogs •ee or four ry power, and, still ^vord pus- 3en heard md Wey- catcliing the llus- l brought s pieces of seal-blubber to the amount of several hundred- weight. The little dark chap disappeared, and we saw no more of him for two days. " Now we want some eggs," said Kit. " What's the word for egg ? " " Wau-ve" Raed replied. Wade then called wau-ve several times to the crowd. They ran off again, and in a few minutes returned with fifteen or twenty of the razor-bill's eggs ; and a party immediately set off toward the clifTs for more. "I admire their promptness," Kit observed, laughing. " They are beginning to respect us," said Wade. "But would it not have been far better to have come over here and asked them kindly for what we wanted ? " Raed demanded. " No," said Kit ; "for we should not have got it." " I don't know about that," replied Raed. " I know we shouldn't," said Wade. " We should have got a square na-niirk to start with ; and I am inclined to believe they would have attacked us with their dag- gers and harpoons. Then we should have been obliged to kill a lot of them in self-defence. As it is, we haven't hurt anybody yet. A dose of spanks won't injure any of them, I'll warrant." "liut this whole business is revolting, — to me, at least," Raed continued. " Oh, I guess you will stand it ! " laughed Kit. " But, Raed, if I were you, I wouldn't show quite so much of my righteous indignation. You want your supper as well as the rest of us." ^ "No doubt." :7 ! \^H 'm m il 1>. 234 LEFT ON LABRADOR. hill •(' ■ II i '! i' t II 1^ 1 » ii I' ■! 1 I ii;:! LI '' I; ! " Well, honestly, old fellow, I could not seo any better way to get it for you." " Well, I hoped never to eat a supper procured by slave-labor." " You won't notice any great ditference in the taste, I dare say," replied Wade. Donovan was preparing splints from the old thwart, and covering them with the blubber in the arch. Ten or a dozen of the Esquimaux were looking on. When he struck a match on his sleeve, exclamations of wonder broke out. Matches were a novelty with them. From their strange looks, and glances toward each other, we concluded that they took us to be either great saints, or devils; most likely the latter, from the way we had previously deported ourselves. The eggs were frietl, and eaten with a sprinkling of salt. A lire of seal-blubber was probably a very extravagant luxury in the eyes of our Husky subjects. The}'^ had no fire while we were with them, save their flickering stone lamps. Yet the use of cooked food seemed not to be wholly unknown among them. On several occasions we saw tliem boil- ing, or at least parboiling, a duck in a stone kettle over five or six of their lamps set together. They often gave food cooked in this way to their young children, and in cases where any of their number are sick. If wood were plenty, they would doubtless soon come to relish it best ; since it is undoubtedly the scarcity of wood which has driven them to raw food. Whatever we did, — in our cooking, eating, and in all our movements, — we were sure of a curious and admir- ing crowd. There were, in all, thirty-seven of the Es- 'Tik' V. LEFT ON LABRADOR. 235 ny better 3ure(l by 3 taste, I '. tliwart, sh. Ten When ' wonder . From •tiler, wo aints, or we had I'ied, and -blubber eyes of ive were Yet the iiknown ni boil- le over n gave and in d were t best; ch has 1 in all admir- le Es- quimaux on the island, — nine men and eleven women, adults: the remaining seventeen ranged from one to eighteen years api)n' v-ntly. So far as we could learn, they kept little or no record of their ages. One man, whom they called Shag-la-wlna, seemed to exercise a sort of authority c^ver the rest ; but whether it was from any hereditary claim to power, or sim[)ly from the fact that he was rather larger in stature than the others, was not very clear. Another, the little dark chap whom Dono- van had punished for his snappishness, was Almost con- tinually slapping and cuffing the rest about. His name was Tivee-(jock. Besides WntcJcee and Wunchee, there were, of the girls, one n.imed Coonee, — a very laughing little creature, — and another called .f/looee ("hut-keep- er" or "house-keeper "). Neitluu" )f these was so largo nor so handsome as JVutchee or Wunchee. The last two were Kit and Wadi^'s favorites. They were quaint little creatures, just about four feet and a half in height ; chubby, and rather fleshy ; and would have weighed rising a hundred pounds, probably. Their faces were rather larger in proportion than our American girls, rounder and flatter ; noses inclined to the pug order; eyes black, and pretty well drawn up at the inner corners ; cheek-bones rather high, though their flesh prevented them from appearing disagreeably prominent ; mouths large, showing large white teeth ; ears big enough to hear well ; hair black, straight, and occasionally pugged up behind ; complexion swarthy, though, in their case, tolerably clear ; feet very small; and hands sizable. Add to this description an ever- genial, pleased expression of countenance, with consid- ^1^^^ li;' } I I 236 LEFT ON LABRADOR. C'ral>lo sprifjjlitliness of manner diislicd with sometliinjjf liko it.d'incfi' ; theii picture tlicni in trcjuscr.s and jiu;K'- et.s, with tlioir hoods, and tliosu irresistibly comical ''tails," — and you havo Watclice and Wunchae, the belles of our island kingdom. After our supper of eggs, of which tliey soon brought as many as seven or eight dozen, Ivued proposed that we should t.ake a look 'it the interior of some of their huts. 80, leaving the two sailors with Guard on senti- nel duty, we went along to the hut helonf^ing to Shiifj- hi'Wuia, and by signs expressed our desire to go in. lie pulled aside th« flap in front, and we stepped under. The tent-frame was of small sticks of the yellow pine, with a straight ridge-pole. Over the frame was thrown a covering of cured seal-skin or walrus-skin. A stone lamp, suspended by seal-skin thongs, hung at tho farther end. It was burning feebly. The wick seemed to be of long fibres of moss. The lamp itself was simply an open bowl hollowed out of a stone, about the size of a two-cpiart measure. The oil was the fat of seals or walruses. On one side there was a cpiantity of fox-skins and bear-skins thrown down promiscuously. Upon these reclined S]iug-hv-ivina''s wife Took-la-poli and his daughter Ljlooee. Kit made them a present of three pins each. On the other side of the lint there was stowed a sledge, with runners of bone firmly lashed together with thongs. On it was a stone pot, hollowed, like tho lamp, out of a large stone. Several harpoons stood in the farther corner. A coil of thong lay on the sledge ; also two whips with short handles of bone, but exceedingly long lashes, — not less than fifteen or ••^i-.-^ m Li;i'r ON LAiniADoii. 237 ,nd juok- foinicul :;/i«e, the Lrouj^ht sed tliat of tlioir )n sonti- tO iSJttKJ- o go in. id under, ow pine, 3 tlirowu A stone at the : seemed self was e, about the fat (juantity leuously. esent of it there y hxshed lollowed, larpoons y on the one, but teen or twenty feet in lcTip;th. There were lying about half a dozen tushs of the walrus, antl, on a low stone shelf, a hundred-weight or more of seal-pork. Wo were turn- ing to go out, when Wade pointed to the eml of a bow and the heads of two arrows protruding from under the furs. Kit took them up; but S/iii(/-la'Wliia very gravely took them from his hands, and returned them to their hiding-place. The bow was of some dark bone, I thought, — possibly whalebone ; the bow-string of sinew ; and the arrows of wood, but provided with rough iron heads. The sight of these iron heads surprised us a little, as well as the discovery in another hut of an English case-knife. That knife, doubtless, had a history. On going out. Wade took up one of the bear-skins, and pointed oft' to our tent. " Afjb,'' replied the Esquimau, nodding. We took it along with us. The other huts were mu; 1 the same as Sliafj-hi-i(;ui(i.s. We got a bear-skin from each. Wutcheo and Wunchee gave us two. These skins, spread over a " shake-down " of moss, made us a very comfortable bed. By this time it was past ten o'clock; and, after arran- ging for regular sentinel duty, — two hours in eac^h wati-lt, — we turned in on our bear-skins, save Weymouth, who had the first watch. lUit we were horribly disturbed by the incessant barking, growling, and lighting of their dogs. Such a set of vicious, snarling curs do not exist in any other quarter of the world, I hope. Tliey were decidedly the most troublesome of our new subjects. Guard could not stir out away from us without being assaulted tooth and nail. Fights of from two to half a f i ' I i "i i i 2']S LF.FT OX LAHHADOR. do/ n coiTil);itants wore in progress all iiip;li<^; and not only that night, hut oach succeeding night. Several times sonic one or other of the Huskies would rush out from their huts, and lay ahout them with their long whips, shouting '* JCi;///, c'ujh, ehjh f^ , We couLl hear the whi[)S snap, followed hy piteous yelps and long- drawn howls. Then there would he silence for perhaps ten minutes : hy that time another fight would he in full lilast. " What, for thunder sake, do they keep so many dogs for?" growled J)on(»van. "To draw their sledges in winter," 1 heard Kaed ex- plaining to him. . . . [Seventeen pages, containing, as appears from the chapter-head, an account of an Estpiimau hall, a fu- neral, also of Wutoluni\ and Winuhev'^ii cookery, are here missing from the^manuscript. The young author ' now absent with the party in Brazil. — -Kd.] Strange how these people can live without salt! They make no use of it with their food ; eat fresh seal-Muhher, nuiinly, all their lives. Ko wonder they look flahhy! And yet they are a happy set; always laughing, joking, and hadgering each (»ther. Very likely their joys are not of a very high order: hut I douht whether civilization \vnt, all snarling and snapping at the wounded one. ]*re8ently *yiut rushed old Shufj-fa-irina ami I'n^ec-f/ork with their wliips, wliduting ^^ Eitjh, c/V/// .^ " and laying ahdut tlu'm. The ends of the thongs eraeked like pistol- shots. The hair and hide flew uj) from the dogs' hacks. As fast as one got a crack, he wouhl leap up and run off, licking at the spot. How the hoys lauglied! That' s a savage weapon !" exclaimed Wade. "T should al)out as lief take a shot from a revolver as one of those 'cracks' on my bare skin. JNloses, how it would 8tin< .1" (( I don't helieve it would hurt through anybody's thick coat," Donovan remarked. « Humph ! it would cut riglit througli to a fellow's hide ! " exclaimed Kit. ''Nonsense ! " *' lU't you don't dare to let one of them crack at you r' "I W(»uldn't let one of them snap at my back, for fear he would hit my ears or hands instead; but I had just as lief let him crack at my leg below my knee, under my boot-leg, as not." u A<;ree< 1! jj Kit ran to get old SJiiifj-Ja-vhin with his whip. " Det my musket against yours that you (lan't stand three cracks on'your boot-leg ! " laughed Wade. i i ( I i40 LKFT ON LABIiADOR. I' ill " I take it ! '' cried Donovan. In a few niintites Kit came back with the olot-h'g. Tho veteran JTusky began to yoh-ijeh ! He unch.'rstood. Standing otV about twenty-five feet, he gathered tlic hish up; tlien, swinging tlie liandle around his head, k't tlio long thong go circling around him like ,l black snake. Faster and faster rt'vcdvod tho black gyres, — twenty tlnns, I hav(^ no doubt. Presently he fetched a snap. The Mark thong shot out like 1" ling. Tkui ! A bit of the hather tlew up. spinning i the air. Dono- van caught away his leg with a profane exclamation. We crowded round. There was a hole in the boot- leg! " Gra(;ious ! '' exclaimed We3Mnouth. Don jerke. Other anxieties occupied our minds so fully, that we were not very attentive scholars. Like the Indians of our Territories, the Escpiinuiux seemed much addicted to running a whol*' seiitcMicc into a single word, or what sounded like it, of imnu'use length. Thcsi' scn- tciicc-words we couM malve very little of. Ibit of lluir detached words, standing for familiar things, I add a vocabulary from such as I can now call to mind: — 1(1 Ksqui- Dunovan [vii. Tho mlorstocxl. (l the Uish 11(1, let tlio kck snako. — twenty •t-log. Th« v«'(.rsn Husl) ln\z^n '■><' tjeh-'yfkl He ujulcr u>jk<> »Sttou«Ut)g ufi a lXj)ut ^■ i-.f *" ' •' •• 'ihtThwh kmg thong f^f> cii< iiTi* ai?oand hint. Iii- • '»laf,k hiiakit. Fa-ttT rvii.l faster involved tbo black ^ r, — twenty tiuK'x, I I'ftve u(» dmibt Prfiontly lu> f«jtelu;d a &iij.p. 'iV* M;«''!» Jioag sbrtt out like lightuing. Tkmf A bit of tlie Itatlier Jiew up, spirvnijig ia the air. Dona- van caught a\ray hlsle>? with a proi'ano ex.cLmiation We crowifc'd round, Tlu'irt vaa u hole ia th«* Ixjot- I.>fO •! Idf" le«;' there : vr -.HI in* '''At'. ;• lUirjiHy {'iciu'J u^. jt goxjcl inatiy vro^flss of tlieJr lar' iaj»\r; thf".;.,'!! i.»f' its fetnu:ture — 'I' it h'.r -v.e ! Mcned lilth\ • Hlh>r nnriftti*'.^ oc('ti[»Jed yar »MiH{s sij full' , tiiJii we H«?e Tiot very att»Tn:;w j(1;a^. ; h> ii. !; i«f of our T^ i iuiari • .f rniftd uiu'-h ;».Ki!.-t^N} to SUtlil .i^- si.-uir'. A)^ mtO H, rtilJj!dv WOltl* i j'om('i>.Ht ii.f gt?\. Tl.i*««'' i-'tm-' for Aiiiiliar Ihiuj.- T ;» '.I ii - «r .'.hii- :-:>"uu«i*'d ic 3; w twenty air. ])<)J»0- xcUuuat'.on. I *hii b<)Ot- •r :wn'' 'v nf tiicir -we ted uiu'K ! aid H - 1' ■ i i t I I LKFT ON (.ABItADOU. 241 I«jl.oo-ee, Mirkee, Tiik-tuky Murk-tUf Tark-tUf Nenook, Cht/niOy Ehjh! Karrackf Tijina, JUtdl, ^^a-ntickf Ahh, SInrfipokf Kai/ak, CiMiifiey Cobloo-nak, Pet^-o mee-wangaf A a naif, Ye-nifickf IIennelroeured a stont^ lamp from the I'^scpiimaiix], and made things as cheery as we couM. For the past weidv we had given U]> sentinel-duty, save what Guard could do. Ther»> seemed no call for it. Ahout ten wo all lay down on our hear- nkins, and, covering them over us, were soon comfortahle. But, solnehow, that night my head was full of dreams. I dreamed every thing a fellow could well imagine, and a good many things no one ever could imagine awali(». I went all over the stern experiences of the i)ast two months. Again we were hunting hears in " ^lazard's Bay." Again we were tossing amid the ice At that stage of ni}' fancies, tho dogs pi:»l)ahly got to fighting; for suddenly I was back on our desolate isle. It was mid-winter; cold! oh, how cold! Tlu^ island was a mass of ice. WntrJiee and WunrJiec had frozen : we were all freezing. Suddenly one of tin; (Jom])an3'^'s shi[)s hove in sight, sailing over the ice-fi(dds, and hegan a homhardment of our island. They had found us at hist, and now were ahout to shell us out, together with our miserahle subjects. How their h<»avy guns roared! Their shells came dropping down with ruinous ex- plosions. Then one came roaring into our tent. There was a moment of horrible suspense. The fuse tizzed. Bang ! We were blown to atoms ! I started. It had waked mo, — something had. The i I tu ,%. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ivillM IM » 11112 140 1 2.2 1 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 "^ 6" ► v^ & /} o e). e. ^A 0-* ^ A /A y Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ V % •sj J§ :\ \ % .V ^ w.''i'\;i£>.' n AeBAUUft. 253 / ,1 m I, \L ,W < c D ?5 tA Thee lie ut •AIT h:; '-^A ro»"i'ng> and tho l>out was Rlluwed .; V yarda iVoia the boai}»., -wlulu Wjklo .H rich, dear voice. We Ihon wavml » - • • took tVu .vlutu bi^^«k»u fwm tkcir K«ot«, ii»d 4j*' 54 un. Then, lomiug 4o^» wixMr^* ciiu wavti* fouoki'^t their fe*.?t, tlusy niiHi.'d thtjir. 1j;ui Js h]<)wlj, a-iKl begau ft l-AV, clear chant. At iho *'vA of witat appenrotl to bt: a stanza, tli^j gronp on l:hii »h»m bcbitKl theru joiiiCii iu a **>rt of chonns re«fc»; U.u^^ tUf? wiJfO«> Arnna-a^^ija, irtina'mnna-ah-i/ii. Tht' ii:jH« tijv. began another stawra, ex^enru* wjtH th<>n rf'poated. Tlicir hiuuU and ffw>p« w»'<^' ■"•- = dijf. ::'d, daring a thlr thf^ W(*st ; ^^- th<^ ;^r fta.st. Finally they lui^iid tm-m to i]- cb-.-)!;!Ug cloar and eaiue^tlyi a<'-eniotI to Isft r ; tht bk'ssing of Hi'aven on na n >w deparrin^trom them ov*? the wild seas. Kit took (H^ L.icap; and wb all fot- l.f«rs*, p(^r- >»v jAi ©fjiMutimes .cw ani^ stbange •d, th<) ^drls, vhf, If under its spell, stat wiit^iX white ha«.d« I'll :!': * W < id 'K y LEFT ON LADltADOR. 2o3 I rM ■■■•i) c The sailors stopped rowin^]^, and tlio l>oat was allowed to lie at about twoiity yards from the beach, while Wado sang ''Dixie" iu his rich, clear voice. We then waved our hands to them slowly and sorr'»<,' fully. Immediately little Coo-nee, with Wutchee and M uiichee and Ljloo-ee, took their white bird-skin gl v es from their boots, and drew them on. Then, coming doAvn where the waves touched their feet, they raised their hands slowly, and began a low, clear chant. At the end of what appeared to be a stanza, the group on the shore behind them joined in a sort of chorus resembling the words Anina-ak-ya, amna-amna-ah-ija. The girls then began another stanza, extending their hands downward toward the sea, waving them slowly to and fro together. The chorus was then repeated. Their hands and faces were next directed, during a third stanza, to the west ; then toward the far east. Finally they raised them to the sky, ar.d, chanting clear and earnestly, seemed to be imploring the blessing of Heaven on us now departing from them over the wild seas. Kit took off his cap ; and we all fol- lowed his example, as if impelled to it. It was really an affecting incident. Our hardy captain is not a soft- hearted man ; but I saw him wipe a tear from his eye as the chant ceased. I have not sought to color the pic- ture. There was a wo'derful pathos about it. We had not heard the song before ; and I am inclined to believe it extempore, — one of those musical efforts which per- sons in what we term the savage state will sometimes make when their feelings are touched by new and strange influences. Even after the song had ceased, the girls, as if under its speU, stood holding out their white hands , .il. I i 254 LEFT ON LABRADOR. to us. I can hardly express how mucli we were moved by it all. Farewell is, as wo all know, a hard word to say. But we were leaving them forever; and the dark storm-clouds, the icy sea, and snowy ledges, seemed a pitiless fate for those whose voices had such power to touch our feelings. What if they were savage Hus- kies : they had human hearts, with all the beautiful possibilities of souls that might be made undying. " Give 'way ! " ordered the captain. We went off with them gazing sadly after us in si- lence. Kit and Wade were in the bow, talking. " Why need we leave them here ? " I overheard Wade ask. "Oh, nonsense, Wade!" said Kit. "But to leave them to the cruel elements !" Wade whispered. " Yes — I know — but they're happier here than they would be — in — in some great cotton-factory at home." " Too true," Wade sighed, and fell to softly whistling "Dixie." " I suppose," said the captain as we got aboard, " that it will be too late to get into Hudson Bay farther this season." " Yes," replied Raed : " we are all a little homesick, I expect. Let's go home." The boat was taken up, and the schooner brought round. The sails swelled out in the stormy wind. " The Curlew" stood away, down the straits. " Adieu to Isle Aktok ! " cried Kit, looking off toward the snowy island. "Our reign ends here; but no one can say that we have not been kings in our day." b^v.wamM a^XjWgg*^?^^^ ^^«-«Hyyi«twiMa*S»«*»{ffl«iy!i'tll«?««^^ 'K Books. JRE. stories are full of to read." — Provi- id call Mayne Reid is full of adventure s in all parts of the ingeniously insinu- latural history, and hw^ix." — Chicago te, $i.so. ost Family in h of a White n the North, /ian Family in Races of Men. jtrations. y clotli, beautifully J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. Frojn " The Boy TarP Specimen Illustration from Nfayne Reid's Tales, First Series. 3 i I I! .1 *-' ' ni J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. MAYNE REID'S TALES OF ADVENTURE iConiinued). foreign adventures. The Bush-Boys ; or, The History and Adventures of a Cape Farmer and his Family in the Wild Karoos of Southern Africa. With 12 Illustrations. The Young Yagers; A Sequel to the Bush-Boys. With 12 Illustrations. The Boy Tar; or, A Voyage in the Dark. With 12 Illus- trations. The Plant-Hunters; or, Adventures among the Himalaya Mountains. With la Illustrations. The Cliff-Climbers ; or, The Lone Home in the Himalayas. A Sequel to "The Plant- Hunters." With 8 Illustrations. Ran Away to Sea: An Autobiography for Boys. With 6 Illustrations. ly The above Six Volumes are bound uniform in fancy cloth, beautifully stamped, and enclosed in a neat box. Price of the set, $9.00. Each in one volume, i2mo, elegantly illustrated. Price, $ 1.75. The Ocean IVaifs. A. Story of Adventure on Land and Sea. With 8 Illustrations. The Boy Slaves; or, Life in the Desert. With 8 Illustrations. Afloat in the Forest; or, A Voyage among the Tree-Tops With 15 Illustrations. The Giraffe- Hunters. With 8 Illustrations. BOS*^ This Series, uniformly bound, in a neat box, price #7.00. r ■A./tl WUI>M W »ftWI «l l ?!WW»*B»>r W ' . > Wt ^ « i ajW II W'W •.-.►.<■,«/:■:. • -.^ .r-"^. V, Books. ttinued). s of a Cape frica. With 13 5. With 12 ;h 12 lUus- e Himalaya Himalayas. ^s. With 6 loth, beautifully #i.75- • id and Sea. ustrations. Tree-Tops 7.00. \>1K J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. From '■^Afloat in the Forest Specimen Illustration fromMayne Reid's Tales, Second Series. I m , lill i J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. ALDRICH'S BAD BOY. " He COMETH UNTO YOU WITH A TaLE WHICH HOI.DETH CHILDREN FROM PLAY AND OLD MEN FROM THE Chimney-Corner." — Sir Philip Sidney. The Story of a Bad Boy. By Thomas Bailey Aldrich. Profusely Illustrated by S. Eytingb, Jr. ^ 1.50, "Tom Bailey has captivated all his acquaintances. He must be added here- after to the boys' gallery of favorite characters, side by side with Robinson Crusoe and the Swiss Family Robinson and Tom Brown at Rugby, while we older folks can laugh as heartily as anybody over his adventures, and relish his history much more than we do the real narratives of grown-up men and women. There is a delightful air of reality about the places and incidents of his story." — New York Tribune. DICKENS'S CHILD'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. A ChilcPs History of England. By Charles Dickens. I vol. i6mo. Handsomely staiafxid in black and gilt. % 1.50. "Dickens never did anything better in its way than his 'Child's History of England.' It may be doubted whether it will not last longer than many of his novels, for its interest and value are not transient, and do not depend on the caprices of popular taste. It is all as bright and attractive as a fairy-tale." — New York Evening Post. DICKENS'S DREAM OF A STAR. A Child's Dream of a Star. By Charles Dickens. Beau- tifully illustrated by Hammatt Billings. Small 4to. Tastefully stamped and gilt, $3.50 ; morocco, 1^7.00. "The most elegant of all the many Dickens books which Messrs. Osgood & Co. have published is the touching little story, the 'Child's Dream of a Star.'" — Chicago Tribune. I DANA'S LIFE BEFORE THE MAST. Two Years Before the Mast. By Richard H, Dana, Jr. New and enlarged Edition. 1 vol. i6mo. $ 1.50. " We are very glad to see an ' author's edition ' of a very old favorite. . . . It would be impertinence to praise so well-known a book as Mr. Dana's original work, but we may say that his added chapter, 'Twenty-four Years After,' is of very rare interest." — London Spectator. 6 500KS. HILDREN FROM > Sid?tey. ' Aldrich. be added here- objnson Crusoe 3 we older folks is history much ;n. There is a "—New York sJGLAND. ; Dickens. .50- lild's History of lan many of his depend on tlie ry-XsXQ."—- New AR. ENS. Beau- tstefuUy stamped s. Osgood & Co. of a Star.' " — \ST. I. Dana, Jr. favorite. ... It . Dana's original s After,' is of very ^9^ J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. Tom and Old Benjy. '■ ' 11:1 Specimen Illustration from •* School Days at Rugby. •• ■ 7 f, ~^mmmmtmmm i M J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. « CARLETON'S " WORKS. My Days and Nights on the Battle-Field. A Book for Boys. With 8 Illustrations and 15 Diagrams, i vol. i6mo._ Price, $ 1.50. Followitig the Flag. From August, 1 861, to November, 1862, with the Army of the Potomac. With 8 Illustrations and 13 Diagrams. I vol. i6mo. Price, $ 1.50. Winning his Way. ' i6mo. Price, $ 1.25. With Illustrations, i vol. Small " Few writers have so completely the gift to convey their readers into the heart of the scene described, and unroll before them the grand panorama of rapidly changing incident, the intense interest of which enchains their attention from first to last. But this power belongs pre-eminently to Mr. Coffin." — Boston Com- monwealth. TOM BROWN AT RUGBY AND OXFORD. Tom Brown^s School-Days at Rugby. By an " Old Boy." By Thomas Hughes, Esq., of London. With 8 Full-page Illustrations. I voL i6mo. Price, $ 1.25. Tom Brown at Oxford. A Sequel to " School-Days at Rugby." By Thomas Hughes. With a Fine Steel Portrait of the Au- thor. 2 vols. i6mo. Cloth. Uniform with "School-Days at Rugby." Price, $ 3.00. " We need not renew the record of the admiration with which the whole series of Hughes's books, commencing with Tom Brown when he first went to Rugby, and ending when he had passed through the crystal gates of learning and entered those golden portals within which lie love and life, has inspired us. They are among the noblest and manliest things of the time, and worth their weight in diamonds to English and American youth." — New York A Has. Seb Page 7. r">*U. ►OOKS. k for Boys. :e, Ji.so- mber, 1862, I 13 Diagrams. vol. Small rs into the heart rama of rapidly r attention from ' — Boston Com- CFORD. « Old Boy." age Illustrations. lOol-Days at ortrait of the Au- )ays at Rugby." the whole series t went to Rugby, rnlng and entered ed us. They are h their weight in J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. J^rom " Following the Flag.^^ v\ =0^:^^^*?^^^ I Specimen of the Illustral;ons in " Carlcton's " Juveniles. J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. MRS. DIAZ'S STORIES. The William Henry Letters. Profusely Illustrated from >/onderful Designs by William Hknrv, i vol. i6mo. i< 1.50. " This series of really racy and characteristic specimens of the epistolary etfu- sions of a rustic school-boy is a very happy hit in the field of juvenile literature. There is a superabundance of humor, which is genuine, because it appears unpre- meditated, all through the series, and there are, at the same time, touches of true nobility and honesty of character, which cannpt fail to make the book profitable as well as pleasant reading." — New York Times. William Henry and his Friends, i vol. i6mo. With Il- lustrations. JS 1.50. " None of the thousands 01 friends of William Henry, who have had his ' Letters,' will need to look any further than the title-page of this book before buying, sure of a rich treat as soon as they find time to read it. We counsel everybody who has a boy to buy the book for. him, and those wl o have no boys to buy it for themselves, — or for somebody's boy." — Detroit Tribune. The King's Lily and Rosebud. A Charming Fairy Tale. Beautifully Illustrated with 16 pictures by W. L. Sheppard. $ 1.50. " This is a delightful fairy story, with the right to claim on its title-page the distinction of being * entertaining.' " — Boston Transcript. MRS. MANN'S FLOWER PEOPLE. The Flower People. By Mrs. Horace Mann. Illustrated. X vol. Square i6mo. Price. $ 1.50. " * The Flower People ' is a graceful little book in which the Snowdrops, the Crocuses, the Violets, the Anemones, the Hyacinths, the Tulips, the May«Flow- ers, the Roses, and all Flora's beautiful daughters are introduced as conversing with little Mary, and imparting to her their lessons of wisdom and love."-.z Christian Inquirer. "' ' 10 ' lOKS. J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. The First Kobin. ted from 1.50- )istolary effu- ile literature, spears unpre- luches of true )ok profitable With 11- have had his is book before [. We counsel ) have no boys ibune. ''airy Tale. 3 title-page the Illustrated. Snowdrops, the the May-Flow- d as conversing m and love." rr Specimen Illustration from " Picture Poems for Young Folks." MARIAN DOUGLAS'S PICTURE POEMS. Picture Poems for Young Folks. By Marian Douglas. I vol. i6mo. With Illustrations. % 1.50. " In genuine lyric faculty we regard Marian Douglas as decidedly the first of the younger female poets of the country. In the present volume she has chosen to write for the children, and has produced a wreath of poems and songs on subjects familiar to the juvenile mind, all of which are good, and some of which should take rank with the best writing of the kind in the language." — Buffalo Courier. LINTON'S FLOWER AND STAR. The Flower and the Star, and other Stories. By W. J. Lin- ton. With Illustrations drawn and engraved oy the Author. 5i-5o. " Charming specimens of the modern tales of wonder for the young." — Boston Transcript. II * lil^ J. R. Osgood & Co/s Juvenile Books. ii!ii!!ii GRACE GREENWOOD'S JUVENILES. History of my Pets. With 6 Illustrations, i vol. i6mo. Price, $ '-oo. Recollections of my Childhood, and other Stories. With 6 Illustrations, i vol. i6nio. Price, $ i.oa Stories from Famou.': Ballads. For Children. With a Fron- tispiece engraved on St«el by Schoff, from a Painting by Cushman, and 4 Illustrations on Wood, i vol. i6mo. Price, $ i.oo. Stories and Legends of Travel and History. For Children. With 14 Illustrations, i vol. i6ixio. Price, $ 1.50. Merrie England. Travels, Descriptions, Tales, and Histori- cal Sketches. With 13 Illustrations, i vol. i6mo. Price, $ x.50. Bonnie Scotland. Tales of History, Heroes, and Poets. With 13 Illustrptions. i vol. i6mo. Price, t> 1.50. Stories and Sights of France and Italy, With 6 Illustrations. I vol. i6mo. Price, % 1.50. Stories of Many Lands. With 6 Illustrations, i vol. Square i6nio. Piice, $ 1.5a " Among the few writers of children's books who understand children and know what they want is tJrace Greenwood. She 'puts herself in their place,' is in sympathy with them, sees with the:*- eyes, hears with their ears, and understands with their understanding. She possesses the plastic quality — the fine gift of genius — that enables her to enter into intimate relations with them and re- produce, as it were, 'heir own thoughts, feelings, and aspirations." — San Fraw Cisco BtdUtin. 12 •"^■J, DKS. :s. L i6mo. With 6 h a Fron- ;sHMAN, and Children. \d Histori- $ 1.50. nd Poets. ustrations. )1. Square Iren and know ir place,* is in d understands he fine gift of them and re- — San Fratf J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. From '-^The Arabian Days' Entcriainincnts.^'' Specimen Illubtrat'.i.)ii. '3 ! J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. GARY'S CLOVERNOOK CHILDREN. Clovernook Children. By Alice Gary. Illustrated, i vol. i6ino. ^1.50. " These sketches bear the true stamp of genius, — simple, natural, truthful, — and evince a keen sense of the iiumur and pathos, of the comedy and tragedy, of life in the country. No one who has ever read it can forget the beautiful story of May Wildermings ; its weird fancy, tenderness, and beauty, and its exquisite ru- ral pictures." — John G. Whittier. GARY'S SNOW-BERRIES. Snow-Berries. A Book for Young Folks. By Alice Gary. With 6 Illustrations, i vol. Small 4to. Price, % 1.50. "A charming little book of mingled prose and verse. ' Snow Berries' is one of the most fascinating books of its kind." — N. Y. Evening Post. CON ANT'S BUTTERFLY-HUNTERS. The Biitterjly- Hunters. By Helen S. Gonant. With 28 Illustrations and 23 Initials, &C. i vol. i6mo. Price, $ 1.50. " On the delicate thread of an interesting narrative of adventures in the New England woods she .stringy a great number of facts in regard to butterflies, teach- ing very clearly just enou;.jh about the insect to incite a child to wish for further information. It is as entertaining as it is useful and reliable." — Harper's U^eekly. ' CURTIS'S ARABIAN DAYS. Arabian Days^ Entertainments. Translated from the Ger- man of Wilhki.m Haukf. By Herbert Pklham Curtis. Illustrated by Hoi'PiN. t vol. i2ma. Price, $ 1.75. " They are exuberant in wit and fancy Indeed, HaufTs tales are rather / _ Harper s 1 the Ger- s. Illustrated Itales are rather delightful." — lildren. By 1 vol. i6mo. IharminRly retold Is a child's book, Specimen of the Illustrations in Hawthorne's Juvenile Works. •5 If J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. HAWTHORNE'S JUVENILE WORKS. True Stones from History and Biography. With 4 Illustra- tions. I vol. i6mo. Price, $ 1.50. A Wonder- Book for Girls and Boys. With 7 Illustrations. 1 vol. i6mo. Price, $ 1.50. Tanglewood Tales for Girls and Boys : being a Second Won- der-Book. With 7 Illustrations, i vol. i6mo. Price, % 1.50. The foregoing volumes are by Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The Scarlet Letter," " House of Seven Gables," etc., etc. " A series of delicately modernized versions of old classical myths and legends, followed in a vein of fancy, pleasantry, and earnest sympathy with the fresh, sim- ple mind of childhood." — Cyclopcedia of A merican Literature, GRIMM'S GOBLINS. Grimm's Goblins. Selected from the Household Stories of the Brothers Grimm. With Illustrations in Colors, from Cruikshank's designs. 1 vol. Square i6mo. Price, #1.50. " The little folks who have not yet made the acquaintance of the goblins of this charming volume will be delighted with this addition to their stock of pleas- ant reading." — New York Times. GAIL HAMILTON'S RED-LETTER DAYS. Red-Lettcr Days in Appletlwrpe. By Gail Hamilton. With 6 Illustrations. 1 vol. Small 4to. Price, $ 1.50. "A series of stories for boys and girls, capitally written." — N. Y. Observer. HOWITT'S BOY'S AUSTRALIA. A Bofs Adventures in the Wilds of Australia. By Wil- liam Howitt. With 6 Illustrations. i6mo. Price, ^1.50. *' We have seldom read a book of travels that charmed us so much." — London Atheneeum. ♦ HAYES'S CAST AWAY. Cast Away in the Cold : An Old Man's Story of a Young Man's Adventures. By Dr. Isaac I. Havics, AutUorof "An Arctic Boat Journey," etc. With Illustrations. Price, $ 1.50 "A story containing a great m.iny exciting adventures, which are told in a very interesting manner. It is an exceedingly useful book It is a first-rate book for boys, — and old boys, if any such creatures there are, will find it very fine reading." — Bmton Traveller. 16 •^'.J. |ijniuL«.kWi9ii iiwn LS. J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. From *' Queer Little People. Uustra- rations. d Won- orof'The nd legends, i fresh, sim- Uories of tUIKSHANK'S le goblins of tock of pleas- ►AYS. [AMILTON. '. Observer. By WiL- Lj^_" London of a Young ] An Arctic Boat L told in a very la first-rate book Ind it very fine m MRS. STOWL S JUVENILE BOOKS. Queer L' 'fie People. With 19 Illustrations, i vol. Small 4tc. j5 1.50. "The distinguished author of ' Uncle Tom's Cabin' writes as well for children as for older persons. These stories are amon^ the very best of their kind, com- bining most happily entertainment and instruction." — (/tica Herald. Little Pussy Willo'W. 1 vol. 4to. Illustrated. $ 1.50. " A charming little story, which has the charm for English readers of unfamiliar scenes and manners, of the life of a New England maiden ; how she got her pet name from the 'pussywillow,' a tree which puts forth its buds at tne earliest sunshine of the year, and made good her rigl»t to it by being the cheeriest, blith- est, most contented of creatures ; how she made her home and all her belongings happy ; and finally was the salvation of a languid fine lady from New York, whom Dr. Hardlmck, a blunt physician whom it was the fashion to consult, sends to tlie farm-house as her only chance of health." — T/u Spectator {London). .17 J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. MRS. A. D. T. WHITNEY'S STORIES. A Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's Life. Illustrated by Hoppin. % 1.50. I vol. i2mo. "This charming story of a summer party at the White Mountains is full of grace and beauty, sparkling with life and fun, and withal the attractiveness of a true Christian character is most winningty portrayed. The whole is as fresh and pure as the mountain air." — Boston Recorder. " A lovely story, full of sweet and tender feeling, kindly Christian philosophy, and noble teaching. It is pleasantly spiced with quaint New England character and their odd, shrewd reflections." — Gracb Gk_ iwood. We Girls: A Home Story, tions. ji.50. I vol. i6mo. With lUustra- " Who that was introduced to Leslie Goldthwaite, that charming summer among the White Mountains, will not gladly seize the opportunity' of renewing the acquaintance as she takes her place with ' We Girls,' less piquant, more quiet, perhaps, than when exhilarated by the mountain breezes, but even more thought- ful, and carrying out into life, and magnetizing by her lovely example all that come within her influence." — Christian Register. Real Folks, i vol. i6mo. Illustrated. $1.50. "' Leslie Goldthwaite and 'We Girls' have had a multitude of readers and admirers. In fact, no person of ordinary sense, who can aptireciate a good thing, a wise point, or oripjiial and choice wit, could read these volumes without feeling a real delight. ' Vt'^e Girls' became a literary text-book of the cultivated family, and the ladies were and are extravagant in their praises of it. ' Real Folks ' fol- lows as a sort of sequel to both volumes, and gives completeness to the series. Of course we commend this book." — Providetice Press. The above Three Volumes are put in a neat box. Price, ^4.50. MISS GOULD'S MARJORIE'S QUEST. Marjorie's Quest. By Miss Jeanie T. Gould. by Augustus Hoppin. 1 vol. lamo. $1.50. Illustrated A story of peculiar interest, and of so noble and delicate moral tone that parents cannot find a more salutary and charming book for sons and daughters in their " teens." It OKS. :s. i2mo. ins is full of itiveness of a i as fresh and n philosophy, land chavacter th lUustra- summer among f renewing the mt, more quiet, 1 more thought- xample all that |e of readers and ate a good thing, s without feeling cultivated family, Real Folks' fol- to the series. «Jt Price, $4- SO- UEST. Illustrated >. d tone that parents daughters in their J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juventlk Books. Trotty, Miss Phelps's Trotty Book. The Trotty Book. By Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Author of " The Gypsy Series," " The Gates Ajar," etc. Illustrated. $ 1.50. " ' The Trotty Book ' is a thoroughly juvenile story, the hero of which is a little bey. His adventures and misadventures, including his marriage, are charmingly natural, and his exploits as artist and letter-writer are extraordina.y, at the loast. He is a delightfully spoiled child." — Philadelphia Press. 19 r,:ii im n I ■1 )! i i-:'l ii || l;if t, ;■ , 1; :.. J. R. Osgood & Co,'s Juvenile Books. SCOTT'S IVANHOE AND TALES. Jvanhoe. A Romance. By Sir Walter S tt. Holiday Edition. Illustrated with 2 S^eel Plates and a Portrait of Scott, i vol. i2nio. Illuminated Title-page. Tinted paper and handsomely bound in gilt cloth. Price, $ 3.50. Tales of a Grandfather. History of Scotland. By Sir Walter Scott. Illustrated with 6 fine Steel Engravings. 6 vols, in 3. In box. % 4.50. The eager interest and pure tone of Scott's Tales are known to all. The vol- umes here mentioned ought to be in every young person's library. SILSBEE'S WILLIE WINKIE. Willie Winkle's Nursery Rhymes of Scotland. Edited by Mrs. Silsbee. With Frontispiece by Billings, i voL i6mo. Price, $1.25- A very charming volume of verses, tastefully illustrated. SEVEN LITTLE SISTERS. The Seven Little Sisters, who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air. With g Illustrations, i vol. Square i2mo. Price, $ 1.25. " A ' tiptop ' story-book is ' The Seven Little Sisters who Live on the Round Ball that Floats in the Air,' in which island-life, desert-life, mountain-life, life with the Esquimaux, and life with the Africans, are set forth in stories of little firls of various races. The idea is well conceived and most happily executed, lach story becomes a geographical lesson. The pictures are remarkably good. It should lie upon every table where children can have access." — The Incupen- deiU ( New York). STODDARD'S FAIRY LAND. Adventures in Fairy Land. A Book for Young People. By R. H. Stoddard. With 6 Illustrations, i vol. i6mo. Price, $ 1.50. A beautiful book for children, much in the vein of Hans Christian Andersen's Tales. " One of the most delightful books for children ever issued." • (New York). 20 The Albion iKS. J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. From " Child-Life?* Holiday :ott. 1 vol. y bound in By Sir 6 vols, in 3- ,11. Thevol- Edited by j6roo. Price, id Ball that rto. price, $ I as- ve on the Round t,ountam-l.fe, ;>fe stones of Wtle _:i.. ovornteu. Ig People. By I. price, $i-So- ■hristian Andersen's WHITTIER'S CHILD-LIFE. Child-Life. A Collection of Poetry for the Young, Selected and Edited by John G. Whittier, with an Introductory Essay. Pro- fusely Illustrated with handsome Engravings. Small quarto. Bevelled and gilt. $ 3.00. This volume includes a large number of the choicest poems in the literature of child-life. Hundreds of the most popular writers are represented, — American, English, German, Italian, Norwegian, and Dutch. "While the compiler has endeavored to accommodate his book to the especial tastes of the young, he has not been without the hope that maturer readers may find something of interest in it, — something to bring back the freshness of the past, — hints and echoes from the lost world of childhood." — Preface. 21 J. R. Osgood & Co.'s Juvenile Books. ' i-50. "The book possesses a peculiar interest. It gives in a style so earnest and pleasing the narrative of Jersey farm-life, — the old-fashioned plodding condition of careless farming, the visit and permanent residence of an old relative, the reform in little things, the mendea doorstep and stable-gate, the cheerful co- operation of the boys, the development of many neglected resources of the farm, — the final prosperity and thrift of the family, and the redemption of lazy Tony King, — that we read it with a feeling akin to enthusiasm." — Journal of the Farm {^Philadelphia). The books named in the preceding' List can be procured of booksellers, or "will be sent, post-paid, on receipt of price by the Publishers, JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO., Boston. 24 OKS. 3l. i6mo. / or ^'irl who y, pohte, and lity. It is a veen the ages find out."^— ; Conduct. inson." I vol. fho are born in what others gin, how to r'O* \cres Enough." ; so earnest and adding condition old relative, the the cheerful co- resources of the iemption of lazy ^I' — yournalo/ he procured of f price by the j^^^ Boston.