weights of stones at their base, and my readers may conceive better than I can describe the position I was in during my detention. on that desolate coast.

During this trip I had opportunities for much talk with the Innuits concerning the Frobisher expedition, and also concerning some of their own traditions and superstitions. Concerning the "dreaded land," Annawa said:

"Years ago many Innuits were carried away on the ice and never came back again. Then Innuits would not live there for a long time. Finally they began to go there again in great numbers, when once more they were all lost, but haw no Innuit could tell. At last, hearing nothing from the people who had gone there, a boat's crew of Innuits went to ascertain their fate. They arrived in the region they sought, but the very first night they could not sleep, owing to a terrible noise, all the same as if Nu-na —the land—cracked, shook, and broke. There was no sea, no wind, no ice; se-lar—sky—fine, weather good, yet the dreadful noise continued. However, the searching party went on shore to examine; they looked around, and they went all over the land, but not one of their people could be found. All were gone! Some mysterious fate had overtaken them. This frightened the new visitors; they knew not what to make of it. Then, too, the dreadful noises continued; each night their sleep was troubled by a repetition of the direful sounds. The earth cracked and rumbled, and seemed as if breaking up in all directions. It was enough! Without farther delay, the visitors took to their boat and left the dreaded land. Since then no Innuits will live there." Annawa said the last catastrophe happened when he was a boy; the first was a long time before he was born.

On Wednesday, October 9th, though within a mile of Lupton Channel, I determined upon returning to the ship; it was all but impossible to proceed. But here again were other disappointments; the wind changed, a heavy storm set in right against us, and, after accomplishing a short distance, we had once more to encamp, this time close to "French Head."

My trip thus far had been any thing but pleasant. In the boat I was so cramped, and wet with the spray, that I could hardly move. When I landed my limbs almost refused their several functions, and it was necessary for me to have a good walk before I could restore proper circulation, It was a comfort to have such a walk, a greater comfort to be within the tupic, and a still greater

A WHALING INCIDENT.

449

to have, after a time, hot coffee placed before me by the ready hands of Suzhi.

The next morning, October 10th, we renewed our boat-voyage back to the ship. On the way a deer was seen, and my crew immediately landed to secure it. This was done without much dif ficulty, guns having been brought into good use for the purpose. The animal was a fine one, and very soon made a great feast for all of us. It was quickly skinned, and the raw food greedily eaten. I partook of some of it, and especially of the marrow of the legs, the bones having been broken by pounding them with a stone. "Johnny Bull" took the head, broke open the skull, and feasted on the brains. Suzhi now and then thrust her fingers down into the paunch, drawing forth portions of the contents, and eating them with much relish. While waiting at this place I took a walk along the beach, and found a ship's beam high and dry on the rocks. It was of oak, twenty-seven feet long, and eighteen by twelve inches square. Spikes that had once helped to hold fast the ship's deck, and the bolts running through at each end, were much eaten with rust. It probably belonged to the Traveller.

When we again started it was with difficulty that any progress could be made, owing to the head wind; but at last, toward evening, we neared the locality of the ship. At that time another boat under sail was observed, and we soon found it to be manned wholly by Innuits. It was a pretty sight, that boat, with no load save its light crew, sailing in the strong wind, with a heavy sea prevailing. The masts and sails were bent over, almost touching the waves, and yet she bounded forward, beautifully rising over the waters, and dashing along like a white whale in alarm. As soon as the boat neared us, we learned that during my absence the crew of the George Henry had captured two whales, and this news was soon afterward fully confirmed when I saw the huge carcasses alongside of the ship.

On board, Captain B and his crew were busy and joyous over the work. A friendly word was hastily given, and I went below. I regretted to learn that a man had been seriously injured, nearly losing his life by a blow from one of the captured whales. The boat in which this man was had run with a sixknot breeze right on the whale in an oblique direction, its bow actually mounting the monster's back near its tail. At that moment the "boat-header"—Morgan—threw, with all the force of a

FF

bold, expert man, two harpoons in quick succession. The whale, feeling the concussion of the boat and the sharp wounds of the irons in his back, desperately and fiercely struck his flukes about, right and left, with the force of a thousand-horse engine. The sea became white under his maddened fury. Occasionally the tip of one of his flukes was raised high above the boat's side, as if about to deal instant destruction to all, and once a blow came heavily down. Morgan saved himself by jumping on one side; but the nearest man was struck and knocked down senseless. The boat's mast was lifted from the step, and the sail thrown in the water, but, fortunately, the boat itself escaped destruction. The huge monster expended most of his power in lashing the water, and then "sounded"--that is, dived into the depths below. On returning to the surface he was met by lances, which caused the usual spouting of blood, and then followed the death-stroke, which made the whale a prize to the daring seamen who had attacked it.

THE ANVIL.

451

CHAPTER XXIX.

The Anvil.—Preparations for returning Home.—Excursion to Bayard Taylor Pass. —Hard Climbing.—An extensive View.—The Ice Pack in Davis's Strait.—A rapid Descent.—Return to the Ship.—Startling Announcement of Captain B—Another Winter in the Ice.—General Gloom.—A bitter Disappointment.—How to live and keep Warm.—Innuit Simplicity regarding Money.—Author's Proposition concerning Stores.

The events that followed my return to the ship on Thursday, October 10th, 1861, were similar to those that I have already related. We all naturally wished to get away and proceed on the voyage home; ice had begun to form, and we felt that the time was now come for our departure, if we meant to leave that year. Thus a few days passed on, during which several of our friends, the Innuits, who had been at different places hunting and sealing, returned. Among them were Ugarng, Artarkparu, and Annawa. Each of these, on my questioning them, spoke of the particular relic on Oopungnewing I had been so anxious to obtain from the moment when Artarkparu told me of it, as recorded in the previous chapter; and upon requesting them to do so, they each made from wood a model of the article, working at different times, and without the least consultation among themselves.

I here introduce an extract from my journal as written at the time:

"Saturday, October 12th, 1861. At 9 A.M. I had interviews with several Innuits concerning the important relic that must still be on the island Oopungnewing. Ugarng saw this relic (which to me is yet undetermined as to its true character) when a young man. He says that one very strong Innuit, now dead, could lift it, and even did shoulder it. No other Innuit could accomplish the same feat. Another lifted it to the height of his knees, but dropped it quickly. Only very few Innuits were able to raise it from the ground. Suzhi, at my request, has just made a pencil sketch of its shape at least, as near as she could. She evidently never took a pencil in her hand before. Ugarng, who is quite experi enced in map sketching, has marked out its shape on the same

leaf as Koo-ou-le-arng's (Suzhi's) sketch. This has some correspondence to the delineation of the one Artarkparu made some days since. Later:

"This minute, 10 15 A.M., have found out just what this relic is. It is an anvil! such as were made in former times, without a horn.

"To get at this, I got Ugarng to cut out with his knife its representation in wood. When he finished it I held it out, asking 'Kis-su?'—that is, What was the heavy iron at Oopungnewing formerly used for? His answer was an intelligible one, and one that determines the nature of this important relic beyond all question. Before I give it, I will say that this Innuit has been to the States (vide page 102). While there he desired to and did visit various manufacturing establishments, being himself naturally of a mechanical turn of mind. I will now give his answer on stating that, holding the index finger of his left hand on the little carved block as I held it up, with his other hand angled into fist and raised above finger to represent hammer, he said, 'All the same as blacksmith.' This expression, in connection with his pertinent symbolizing, settles the matter satisfactorily to my mind that this relic of Frobisher on Oopungnewing is an anvil."

Another wood model,* of great similarity to the above two, was executed on the 15th of October by Annawa.

When Ugarng saw the relic, or "heavy stone," it was "red with rust;" and Artarkparu informed me that it had been carried to Oopungnewing from Kodlunarn many years ago by Innuits on a sledge. Annawa, in speaking of it, said "it was something that did not grow there," and each one confirmed the others' testimony, though examined apart and at different times. Suzhi also

*This model I sent to the English government with many of the Frobisher relics which I discovered and obtained in the Countess of Warwick's Sound.