North-Pole Voyages: Embracing Sketches of the Important Facts and Incidents in the Latest American Efforts to Reach the North Pole, from the Second Grinnell Expedition to That of the PolarisMudge, Zachariah Atwell
History
North-Pole Voyages: Embracing Sketches of the Important Facts and Incidents in the Latest American Efforts to Reach the North Pole, from the Second Grinnell Expedition to That of the Polaris
Mudge, Zachariah Atwell
Arctic regions; Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration -- American; Discoveries in geography -- American
During this voyage Mr. Hall was treated without stint to the delights of
one Esquimo practice. We have spoken of the wild songs of their
incantations, rising often into a dismal howl. One of the crew, a woman,
had a gift in this way, and when she _ankooted_ the rest accompanied, or
came in on the chorus. In this way they often made the night of their
encampment hideous. One day the boat was gliding smoothly along under
the steady strokes of the rowers. The unemployed were nestling down in
their furs, dreamily musing, while the dreary expanse of sky and sea was
profoundly still, save the distant screech of the sea-fowl, and the
occasional bark of the seal. Suddenly the female enchanter commenced her
mystical song. Her voice was shrill as a night-bird's, and varied by
sharp and sudden cracks, like fourth-of-July firecrackers. The Esquimo
crew came in on the chorus, and the rowers put forth at the same time a
frantic energy, their eyes glaring and countenances fearfully distorted.
The whole scene was intensely demoniac. The enchanters seemed
intoxicated with their howlings, and continued them through the night
and most of the two following days.
Only one incident more of a noticeable character occurred on this
excursion. When one of their nightly encampments had just commenced _a
gold fever_ seized the Esquimo, and shook the little community as if
they had been white folks. A huge lump of gold had been found! It was
precisely the article for which the sovereign of England and her savans
had sent here, three hundred years before, the sturdy Frobisher, with a
fleet of empty ships. It was emphatically _fool's gold_.
Friday, September twenty-seventh, 1861, the explorers arrived at Rescue
Harbor. The "George Henry" was already there. Her energetic officers and
crew had toiled through all the season and taken nothing! The explorer
and the ship's commander, after a warm supper, sat in the cabin talking
over the incidents of their experience while separated until a late hour
of the night. The whole community were jubilant at their return, as
fears were indulged that the crazy craft had sunk with all its
occupants.
Mr. Hall was not long in finding the tupic of his friends, Ebierbing and
wife. When the wife of Tookoolito saw him she buried her face in her
hands and burst into tears so great was her joy. While chatting with
them, Mr. Hall heard the plaintive sound of an infant voice. Turning
back the folds of Tookoolito's fur wrapper a little boy was seen only
twenty-four days old, an only child.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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