My Northern Exposure: The Kawa at the Pole — John Shaqi
My Northern Exposure: The Kawa at the PoleChappell, George S. (George Shepard)
General
My Northern Exposure: The Kawa at the Pole
Chappell, George S. (George Shepard)
Arctic regions -- Fiction; Burlesque (Literature)
Chapter II
From her berth in the Harlem, the Kawa steamed, or to be more exact,
gasolined, to the landing stage of the N.Y.Y.C. station at the foot
of East Twenty-second St. Our progress had been one of triumph. Every
passing ship had hailed us by bell, whistle or horn, to which was added
the hoarse blare of sirens from the converted breweries which line the
banks. Gay stevedores threw their caps in the air and tossed lumps of
coal in our direction, surely a magnificent tribute with coal at its
present price. Street urchins shouted unintelligible remarks and all
manner of citizens joined in the usual riparian rites. Passing under
the stern of a United Fruit Company steamer, the cook waved a farewell
from his galley and dumped a bucket of potato peelings in our path.
Off Blackwell's Island the scene was particularly affecting, the
inmates giving me an appreciative greeting, the trusties rushing to
the sea wall and gazing longingly in my direction while those in
durance vile plucked off their shoes and beat upon the cell bars to
attract my attention. With my glasses, I thought I recognized one or
two familiar faces but I can not be sure. At any rate I feel certain
that their hearts went out to me even as mine went in to them, and I
could but paraphrase the remark of Dean Bullock, "There, but for the
Grace of God, is the whole Traprock Expedition."
UN DÉJEUNER À LA BOUGIE
The candle which Dr. Traprock presented to the beautiful Ikik as
a love-token was generously shared by her with her co-wives. Its
appeal, curiously, was entirely gustatory, the flavor of refined wax
being a revelation to the native taste after their customary fare of
seal-fat and fish-oil.
Here we see the charming Yalok nibbling her share of the prized
dainty. The candle shown is one of six, specially cast for Dr.
Traprock by the Candlemas Club of Pittsburgh. Each one was designed
to last a month and thus bring light into the Arctic night. The
donors doubtless will be surprised and pleased at the knowledge that
the heroic-size of their gift met with great appreciation though not,
perhaps, in the way intended.
"Evening after evening," says Dr. Traprock in a private letter to
the editor, "the maidens sate about our Primus, passing the candle
from hand to hand much as we pass a loving-cup, though with less
reluctance. Each would nibble perhaps an inch from the coveted
cylinder and then hand it to her neighbor, crying, 'Lapatok's turn!'
or 'Klipitok's turn!' with the heartiest good-will imaginable."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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