out, he immediately rose upon his haunches, knocked his tormentors (the Esquimaux dogs) to the right and left with his fore paws, and then ran on. But the dogs were again upon his track, surrounding and cutting off his retreat to the shore. Thus we were soon up with him, though keeping at a respectful distance from the wounded prey. Charley desiring to try his hand at my rifle, and knowing he was a good marksman, I allowed him to do so. He fired as the bear was again on his haunches engaged with the dogs. The shot took effect in his breast, and the brave beast fell kicking and tumbling; but, after a moment's struggle, was once more on his feet again, flying away. Morgan, of our ship, now tried his double-barrel, with three bullets in each, but both barrels missed fire. Another shot was then fired, and this time the bear tumbled over, as we all thought, dead. A cheer from us followed; but hardly had our voices died away, when the poor beast was again on his feet struggling to get off, white men, Esquimaux, and dogs all after him. Once more a heavy charge—this time from Morgan's gun—went into him, striking his face and eyes, and down went Bruin "dead again." One cheer was given, then another commenced, when, lo! as if the noise had revived him, the brute, seemingly with as many lives as a cat is said to have, went off again, running feebly, but still with some remaining vigor. Spears were now thrown at him by the natives, but these rebounded from his tough hide, proving as harmless to him as tooth-picks.

Once more he was down. Then raising his head, and looking round upon his foes, which numbered a full score without including the dogs, he seemed as if preparing for the last fight and death-spring. It was a dangerous moment, and so all felt. But now was the time for me to try my hand. Hitherto I had not fired. This, then, was the moment to do so. I stepped out, and placed the hair-trigger as it should be, and leveled my gun.

"Shoot at his head! give it him in the skull!" was the cry from those around; but I watched my opportunity, and, when he gave a certain downward throw of his head, fired, tapping the jugular vein. It was enough. One convulsive movement, as the blood oozed out from the keen cut made by my rifle ball, and the life of the polar bear was ended.

The next task was to get the carcass on board, and at first we intended to drag it there. A line of sufficient length was upon the ground, ready for placing round the bear's neck; but this was

finally abandoned, as his weight (near that of an ox) would break through the treacherous ice around the island where we were. It

was then decided that the Esquimaux should skin the animal on the spot, quarter it, and thus carry it piecemeal to the ship. Accordingly, we left them to the task, and had not long been back to our cabins when the prize arrived, the carcass still smoking hot, though the skin was already frozen stiff.

I should mention that, as soon as the bear was discovered, Ebierbing hastened after it with his dogs, which were regularly trained to keep bears in check until rifles and spears should arrive. The dogs which I had brought from Greenland never had been "educated" for bear fights, therefore they seemed to act upon the principle that "distance lends enchantment to the view" by getting upon the most distant and highest part of the island on which the bear was killed.

As regards the use made of our prize, I have only to say that we divided it with the Esquimaux, and had a capital dinner of a portion of our share. I liked it better than the best of beefsteaks.

A day or two after this bear-hunt I paid another visit to North Star village, accompanied by Ebierbing, who took me direct to his tupic. After passing on all-fours through the low snow-passage which he had made, leading to the interior, I found myself

ESQUIMAUX STONE LAMP AND FIRE.

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facing Tookoolito, seated near a lamp, and herself covered with skins, she having been taken sick on the last occasion of visiting our ship. Mittens, boots, stockings, and articles of clothing, all in a wet state, were on the "dry net" that always hangs over the lamp, but on this occasion the lamp was not performing its usual heat-giving functions. Owing to the backwardness of the cold season in freezing up the bay, the condition of the natives. from want of blubber and food was in an alarming state. Many of them could have no friendly lamp to give light and heat.

The Esquimaux lamp is the "all in all" to these people. By it their igloo is lighted and kept warm; by it they melt ice or snow for their drink; and by it they dry their clothing, mittens, boots, stockings, etc. Without the lamp, Esquimaux could not live— not so much because of its warmth or use for cooking, but because it enables them to dry their skin clothing, melt ice for drink, and gives them light during the long arctic night of winter.

When I called upon Tookoolito the lamp was without oil, and could not give either sufficient light, heat, or drying power, hence the melancholy aspect of her otherwise happy abode. Ebierbing, however, intended very soon to make a sealing excursion, and obtain blubber at any risk.

When obliged, Esquimaux do not hesitate in undergoing the greatest privations to get food for their families. They will watch. over a seal-hole for one hour or fifty, if need be, in the coldest weather, waiting for the seal to come up and breathe. Kudlago in this manner caught the first seeds of the complaint which carried him off. His family were starving; and after bearing the pain of seeing them suffer for a few days, he could endure it no

longer. He went out in some of the worst and coldest weather known here, and exposed himself for nearly two days and nights continuously, patiently watching for a seal, which he eventually captured. Ebierbing now intended to do the same thing rather than allow his home to be wretched much longer.

I need hardly say that every thing in my power was done for Tookoolito, as also for poor Nukertou, who was very sick.

From Tookoolito's I walked a little way on, and found two Esquimaux, "Charley" and "Miner," making an igloo, or snow-house. In a short time more it was finished, and I was quite surprised at its beauty. With the exception of a single stain upon its spotless snow at the apex or centre of the dome, it was one of the most chaste pieces of architecture I ever saw. The exceptional stain was, I am sorry to say, something emanating from civilization. It was the juice of tobacco! I seized the long snow-knife from the hands of one of the Esquimaux, and scraped away that which so marred the beauty of the whole, while the inmates looked on, and then applauded me when it was done.

REMARKABLE ECHO.

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CHAPTER X.

Remarkable Echo.—Visit of "Sampson."—Innuit Mode of Washing the Face.— "Job's Comforters."—"Bridge of Sighs."—Mothers nursing their Children.— Serviceable Hoods.—Tails of Innuit Dresses.—Cold in Winter endurable.—Extraordinary mild Weather.—Igloos in Ruins.—Kelp used for Food.—Christmas and New Tear's Day.—Sick Nukertou.—Inattention to the Infirm and Dying.— Cruel Abandonment.—Innuit Superstitions.—Author's lonely Watch.—Death of Nukertou. The female Angeko.—Kooperarchu's Death.—Reflections.—Innuit Idea of a Future State.

The month of December came in, as I nave previously said, with a great calm of four days, and though the ice was then much broken up, making a transit to the shore difficult, yet I contrived to frequently land for exercise, and to see more of Innuit life.

One day, while walking near a channel between two islands, I heard a very remarkable echo, of so striking a character that an Innuit boy and three dogs, near at hand, could hear my voice only through its reflected sound. The tide was out, leaving a rock bluff on the opposite side of the channel, whence the sound was reverberated. After giving utterance to my voice, in one second of time the echo came back to me, thus making the distance across 550 feet, as sound travels 1100 feet per second.

On December 8th, at noon, the thermometer was at zero, and on the 9th, 15° below zero, or 47° below the freezing point. Yet, strangely to me, the cold was not felt so much as I should have supposed. The ice was solid around us, and our good ship quite laid up in winter quarters. Now and then we could hear some heavy and startling cracks, as if disruption was about to take place; but nothing of any note occurred to disturb or to vary the usual monotonous life on board. Visits from the Esquimaux were made daily, and often we had several sleeping on the cabin floor and on sea-chests in impromptu beds made of sails, thick wearing apparel, etc., and a curious picture it was thus to see them. Frequently, accompanied by some of these visitors, I went to their village and to the islands around us, always being received by the natives in the most friendly manner.

Once we had a stranger arrive who had formerly lived near

M