A Barren Shore, and a Strange Animal, which is captured by blowing up its Den.—Palmleaf falls in with the Esquimaux, and is chased by them.—"Twau-ve!"—"A Close Shave."—An Attack threatened.—The Savages dispersed with the Howitzer.
A Barren Shore, and a Strange Animal, which is captured by blowing up its Den.—Palmleaf falls in with the Esquimaux, and is chased by them.—"Twau-ve!"—"A Close Shave."—An Attack threatened.—The Savages dispersed with the Howitzer.
To avoid the thick patches of heavy ice which were this afternoon driving out toward the Atlantic, we bore up 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 they 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 examining 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 seemed made up of water, granite, and ice. The black, leathern lichens added to the gloomy aspect of the shore-rocks, on which the waves were beating—forever beating—with sullen plashings. Terrible must be the aspect of this coast in winter. Now the hundreds of water-fowl wheeling over it, and enlivening the crags with their cries, softened its grimness. Farther along the shore-ledges Kit presently espied a black animal of some kind, and called our attention to it.
"He 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," Raed remarked; "as black as Guard. Not quite so large, though."
Wade thought it was fully as large.
"If we were in 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. Mazard looked.
"If it hadn't such short legs, I should pronounce it a black wolf," he replied. "It's too large for afisher, isn't it? I don't know thatfishersare found so far north, either. How 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 Raed; "too thick and heavy. A fisher is slimmer."
"Who knows but it may be a new species!" exclaimed Kit, laughing. "Now's a chance to distinguish ourselves as naturalists. If we can discover a new animal of that size in this age of natural history, and prove that we are thediscoverers, it will be monument enough for us: we can then afford to retire on our laurels. Call it a long Latin name, and tack our own names, with the endingiioruson them, to that, and you're all right for distant posterity. That's what some of our enterprising young naturalists, who swarm out from Yale and Cambridge, seem to think. Only a few weeks ago, I was reading of a new sort of minute infusorial insect or mollusk, I don't pretend to understand which, bearing the name of 'Mussa Braziliensis Hartii Verrill.' Now, I like that. There's a noble aspiration for fame as well as euphony. Only it's a little heavy on the poor mollusk to make him draw these aspiring young gentlemen up the steep heights of ambition. But if they can afford to risk two names on a tiny bit of jelly as big as the head of a pin, say, I think we should be justified in putting all four of ours on to this big beast over here. And, since the captain thinks it's like a wolf, suppose we call it 'Lupus rabidus Additonii Burleighii Raedwayvius'"—
"There, that'll do!" cried Raed. "You've spelt! Go up head!"
"There's another creature coming along the rocks!" exclaimed Wade. "That's a bear! He's coming out where the black one is!"
"There," said Raed, "you can see now that the bear is much the larger."
"Yes; but a white bear is considerably larger than a black bear," replied Kit.
"Look quick!" cried Wade. "There's going to be a brush! See the black one bristle up!"
"He's got something there he don't want to give up," said the captain.
"Bear says, 'I'll take your place at that,'" laughed Kit. "He walks up to him. By George! did you see the black one jump at him? Bear sent him spinning with his paw. He won't go off. Stands theregrowling, I'll bet."
"I should really like to know what sort of a beast that is," said Raed. "Captain, have the boat let down, if you please. I would like to go over there."
"Good chance to get another bear-skin," observed Kit. "We need one more."
The boat was lowered; and we four, with Guard, and Weymouth and Don to row, got into it, and paddled across toward where the bear was feeding, and the black creature, sitting up like a dog, watching him. We worked up quietly to within about half a cable's length (three hundred and sixty feet) without disturbing them. It was a pretty large bear: but the black animal did not seem more than two-thirds as large as Guard; and, the nearer we came to it, the more in doubt we were as to its species.
"I never saw any thing at all like it," remarked Raed.
"Wouldn't it be jolly if it should prove to be a new, undiscovered animal!" exclaimed Wade.
"That's rather too good to be true," replied Kit; "but we'll see."
Just then Guard got his eye on them, and barked gruffly. The bear looked round: so did the black creature.
"Kit, you and Wade take the bear," advised Raed. "Wash and I will fire at the black one. Get good aim, now."
We took as good aim as the rocking of the boat would permit, and fired nearly together. The bear growled out savagely: the black beast snarled.
"There they go!" exclaimed Weymouth.
The bear was running off along the shore, galloping like a hog. The black animal was going straight back over the ledges.
"Pull in quick!" shouted Raed.
The boat was rowed up to the shore. Jumping out, we pulled it up on the rocks.
"Here, Guard!" cried Kit, running forward to where the ledges gave a better view. "There he goes! take him now!" for we had got a momentary glimpse of the black animal crossing the crest of a ledge several hundred yards away.
"Come on, Weymouth!" exclaimed Wade;"and you, Donovan! Let's we three go after the bear. They'll take care of thenew species: we'll go for theold."
Kit had run on after Guard. Raed and I followed as fast as we could. The Newfoundland, chasing partly by sight and partly by scent, was already a good way ahead; and we soon lost sight of him among the ledgy hillocks and ridges. We could hear him barking; but the rocks echoed the sound so confusedly, that it was hard telling where he was. Hundreds of kittiwakes were starting up all about us too, with such a chorus of cries that it was not very clear which was dog. Presently we lostsoundof Guard altogether, and wandered on at random for ten or fifteen minutes, but finally met him coming back. As soon as he saw us, he turned and led off again; and, following him for thirty or forty rods, we came to a fissure between two large rocky fragments, partially overlaid by a third. Guard ran up, and by a bark seemed to say, "In here!" Kit thrust in his musket, and we heard a growl.
"Holed him!" cried Raed.
"Pretty strongposish, though," said Kit, looking about. "If we only had a bigpryhere, we might heave up this top rock, and so get at him."
"I don't suppose there's a tree big enough to use as a lever within a hundred miles of here," remarked Raed, looking around.
We ran in our muskets, but could not touch the creature. He seemed to have crept round an angle of one of the bottom rocks, so as to be well out of reach and out of range. The hole was scarcely large enough to admit Guard, and the dog did not seem greatly disposed to go in. We fired our muskets, one at a time, holding the muzzles inside the opening, hoping to frighten the animal out; but he didn't see fit to leave his stronghold.
"If we had only a pound or two of powder here," observed Raed, examining the crevices about the rocks, "I think we might mine this top rock, and blow it up."
"That will be the only way to get at him," said Kit.
"Well, we can go back to the schooner for some," I suggested.
"Yes," said Kit. "Raed, you and Guard stay here and watch him. Wash and I will go for the powder."
We started off, and, on getting back to the beach, found Wade, with Weymouth and Donovan, standing near the boat.
"Where's your bear?" Kit demanded.
"You say," laughed Weymouth, "you were one of the two that shot at him."
"He showed too much speed for us," said Donovan.
"But where's yournew species?" Wade inquired.
"Oh! he's all right,—up here in a hole."
"That so? Here's what he was eating when the bear drove him away," pointing down among the rocks, where a lot of large bones lay partly in the water.
"What kind of an animal was that?" Kit asked.
"A finback, I think," replied Weymouth. "Died or got killed among the ice, and the waves washed the carcass up here. Been dead a good while."
"I should say so, by the smell. Putrid, isn't it? Why, that beast must have had a strong stomach!"
Weymouth and Donovan went off to the schooner after the powder in our places, and came back in about twenty minutes. Palmleaf was with them.
"You haven't come on another bear-hunt, I hope!" cried Wade.
"No, sar. Don't tink much of dem bars, sar. Got a voice jest like ole massa down Souf. 'Spression very much like his when he used ter take at us cullered folks with his bowie-knife."
"Pity he hadn't overtaken you with it!" Wade exclaimed, to hector him. "He would have saved the hangman a job—not far distant."
"Dere's a difference ob 'pinions as to where de noose ought ter come," muttered the affronted darky. "Some tinks it's in one place, some in anoder."
Securing the boat by the painter to a rock, we went up over the ledges to where Raed was doing sentinel duty before the fissure.
"Has he made any demonstrations?" Kit asked.
"Growls a little occasionally," said Raed. "I've been looking at the cracks under this top rock. This on the right is the one to mine, I think. I've cleared it out: it's all ready for the powder. What have you got for a slow match?"
Donovan had brought a bit of rope, which he picked to pieces, while Kit and Raed sifted in the powder. Thetowwas then laid in a long trail, running back some two feet from the crack.
"Now be ready to shoot when the blast goes off," advised Raed. "He may jump out and run. Palmleaf, you keep Guard back."
The rest of us took our stand off thirty or forty yards, and, cocking our guns, stood ready to shoot. Raed then lighted a match, touched the tow, and retired with alacrity. It flamed up, and ran along the train; then suddenly went nearly out, but blazed again, and crept slowly up to the powder; whenwhank!and the rock hopped out from between the others, and rolled spitefullyalong the ground. We stood with our guns to our shoulders, and our fingers on the triggers. But the beast didn't show himself.
"Possibly it killed him," said Kit.
Raed picked up some rough pebbles, and pitched one over between the rocks. Instantly there was a scramble, and our black-furred friend leaped out and ran.
Crack-k-k-k!—a running fire. Guard rushed after him. The creature fell at the reports, but scrambled up as the dog charged upon him, and tried to defend himself. But the bullets had riddled him. In an instant, Guard had him by the throat: he was dead. There were five shot-holes in the carcass: one of them, at least, must have been received when we fired at him from the boat.
It was a very strong, muscular creature, with short stout legs and broad feet, with claws not so sharp and retractile as a lynx's; seemingly intermediate between a cat's claws and a dog's nails. The tail was quite long and bushy: indeed, the creature was rather shaggy, than otherwise. The head and mouth were not large for the body. The teeth seemed to me much like those of a lynx. I have no doubt that it was a glutton (Gulo luscus), or wolverine, as they are indifferently called; though none of us had at that time previously seen one of these creatures. Donovan andWeymouth undertook to skin it; and, while they were thus employed, the rest of us, with Palmleaf and Guard, went off to shoot a dozen kittiwakes. We had gone nearly half a mile, I presume, and secured five birds, when Wade called out to us to see a large eagle, or hawk, which was wheeling slowly about a high crag off to the left.
"It's a white-headed eagle, isn't it?" said he.
Kit thought it might be. But Raed and I both thought not. It seemed scarcely so large; and, so far as we could see, the head was not white. It occurred to me that it might be the famous gerfalcon, or Icelandic eagle; and, on mentioning this supposition, Raed and Kit both agreed with me that it seemed likely. Wishing, if possible, to secure it, I crept along under the crag, and, watching my chance as it came circling over, fired. 'Twas a very long shot. I had little expectation of hitting: yet my bullet must have struck it; for it flapped over, and came toppling down till within a hundred feet of the top of the crag, when it recovered itself, mounted a little, but gradually settled in the air till lost from sight behind the crag. Thinking it barely possible that it might fall to the ground, I sent Palmleaf with Guard round where the acclivity was not so great, to look for it. The negro had seen the bird fall, and started off. I let him takemy musket, and, with the rest of the boys, went down to the water, which was distant from where we then were not more than a hundred rods. Donovan and Weymouth had already finished skinning the glutton, and gone down to the boat. Knowing we had followed off to the left, they embarked, and came paddling along to pick us up. They came up; and we got in with our kittiwakes, and then stood off a few yards to wait for the negro. I had not expected he would be gone so long. We were looking for him every moment; when suddenly we heard the report of his musket, apparently a long way behind the crag.
"Confound the darky!" muttered Raed. "What could possess him to go so far?"
"Perhaps the eagle kept flying on," suggested Kit.
We waited fifteen or twenty minutes. No signs of him.
"You don't suppose the rascal's got lost, do you?" Wade said.
"No need of that, I should imagine," replied Raed.
We waited ten or fifteen minutes longer.
"We might as well go after him," Kit was saying; when, at a distance, a great shouting and uproar arose, accompanied by the barking of dogs and all the other accompaniments of a general row and rumpus.
"What the dickens is up now?" exclaimed Kit.
"It's the Huskies!" cried Weymouth.
"You don't suppose they are after Palmleaf, do you?" Raed demanded.
We listened eagerly. The hubbub was increasing; and, a moment later, we espied the negro bursting over the ledges off to the left at a headlong run, with a whole crowd of Esquimaux only a few rods behind, brandishing their harpoons and darts. There were dogs, too. Guard was running with Palmleaf, facing about every few leaps, and barking savagely. All the dogs were barking; all the Huskies wereta-yar-r-r-ingand chasing on.
"They'll have him!" shouted Kit. "To the rescue!"
A smart pull of the oars sent the boat up to the rocks. Raed and Kit and Wade sprang out, cocking their muskets; Donovan followed with one of the oars; and I seized the boat-hook, and started after them. Palmleaf was tearing down toward the water, running for his life. He had lost the musket. Seeing us, he set up a piteous howl of terror. He had distanced his pursuers a little. The savages were now six or eight rods behind; but the dogs were at his heels, and were only kept off him by the sudden facings and savage growls of Guard, who valiantly stemmed thecanine avalanche. We met him about fifty yards from the boat, and raised a loud hurrah.
"Into the boat with you!" Raed sang out to him.
The dogs howled and snarled viciously at us. Donovan cut at them with his oar right and left; while Raed, Kit, and Wade levelled their muskets at the horde of rushing, breathless savages, who seemed not to have seen us at all till that moment, so intent had they been after the negro. Discovering us, the front ones tried to pull up; and, those behind running up, they were all crowded together, shouting and screaming, and punching each other with their harpoons.
"Avast there!" shouted Donovan, flourishing his oar.
"Halt!" ordered Wade.
While Kit, remembering a word of Esquimaux, bade them "Twau-ve" ("Begone") at the top of his voice.
I must say that they were a wicked-looking lot,—the front ones, at least,—comprising some of the largest Esquimaux we had yet seen. There must have been thirty or forty in the front groups; and others were momentarily rushing in from behind. The dogs, too, fifty or sixty at least calculation,—great, gaunt, wolfish, yellow curs,—looked almost as dangerous as their masters.
"We must get out of this!" exclaimed Raed; for they were beginning to brandish their harpoons menacingly, and shout and howl still louder.
"If we turn, they'll set upon us before we can get into the boat!" muttered Kit.
"Fire over their heads, to gain time!" shouted Wade. "Ready!"
The three muskets cracked. A greatta-yar-r-rand screeching followed the reports; under cover of which and the smoke we legged it for the boat, and, tumbling in, were shoved hastily off by Weymouth. Before we had got twenty yards, however, the savages were on the bank, yelling, and throwing stones, several of which fell in among us; but we were soon out of their reach.
"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 Raed.
Palmleaf, completely exhausted, lay all in a heap in the bow. We pulled off to the schooner. The savages and their dogs kept up a confusedmedley of howls and shouts: it was hard distinguishing the human cries from the canine.
Capt. Mazard and the men were leaning over the rail, waiting. They had been watching the fracas, and understood 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!" said Raed. "We fired high to frighten them."
"I'm glad you didn't kill any of the poor wretches."
"Tell us how it happened, Palmleaf," said Kit.
"Did you come upon them? or did they come upon you?" I asked.
"Why, I was gwine arter dat hawk, you know," said the African, still sober from his terror and his race.
"Yes."
"He 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' flyin' up."
"And you kept following him," added Raed. "Well, what next? How far did you go?"
"Oh! 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. He flew, and I chased arter him agin."
"But how did you come to meet the Huskies?" demanded 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 dere han's."
"Snaring birds," said Raed. "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.
"Jest stopped a minit."
"To say a word to them on your own account, I'll warrant."
"Thought I'd jest speak an' tell dem dey needn't be ser 'fraid on me."
"Shut up, Wade!" interposed Kit. "Let him tell his story. What did the women do?"
"Dey turned an' haked 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 Raed. "Well, what next, Palmleaf?"
"Dey run'd; an' twan't a minit 'fore a whole gang ob de men cum runnin' up, wid dere picked bone tings in dere han'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'!" exclaimed 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 them, 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 a while; but when we went on deck again at three,P.M., the crowd was still there, in greater numbers than before.
"I wonder what they can be waiting for so long," said Wade.
There was little or no wind, or we should haveweighed anchor and made off. After watching them a while longer, we went down to read. But, about four, the captain called us. We went up.
"That was what they were waiting for," said he, pointing off the starboard quarter.
About a mile below the place where the Esquimaux were collected, a whole fleet ofkayakswere coming along the shore.
"Waiting for their boats," remarked the captain.
"They're coming off to us!"
"Do you suppose they really have hostile intentions?" Raed asked.
"From their movements on shore, and their shouts and howls, I should say 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 thosekayaksand threeoomiakscoming 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 really believe they mean to attack us," Raed observed. "This must be some nasty superstition on 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.
"Poor fools!" continued Raed. "It would be too bad if we have to kill any of them."
"Can't we frighten them out of it in some way?" I inquired.
"Might fire on them with the howitzer," Kit suggested, "with nothing but powder."
"That would only make them bolder, when they saw that nothing came out of it," said Capt. Mazard.
"Put in a ball, then," said Kit.
"That would be as bad as shooting them here alongside."
"It might be fired so as not to be very likely to hit them," said Raed. "Couldn't it, Wade?"
"Yes: might put in a small charge, and skip the ball, ricochet it along the water."
"Let's try it," said Kit.
The howitzer was pushed across to the starboard side.
"Remember that there's a pretty heavy charge in there now," said Wade. "Better send that over their heads!"
The gun was accordingly elevated to near thirty degrees. Raed then touched it off. The Esquimaux, of course, heard the report; but Idoubt if they saw or heard any thing of the ball. It doubtless went a thousand feet over their heads; and just then, too, thekayaksandoomiakscame up where they were standing, 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; indeed, I believe Raed depressed it a few degrees. We watched with a great deal of curiosity, if nothing more, while Kit lighted a splint and touched the priming. A sharp, light report; and, a second later, the ball struck on the water off four or five hundred yards, and ricochetted,—skip—skip—skip—skip—spatinto the loose shingle on the beach, making the small stones and gravel fly in all directions. The Huskies jumped away lively. Very likely the pebbles flew with some considerable violence. But in a moment they were swarming about thekayaksagain, uttering loud cries. With the reenforcement they had just received, they numbered full a hundred or a hundred and fifty men. Should they make a determined effort to board us, we might have our hands full, or at least have to shoot a score or two of the poor ignorant wretches; which seemed a pitiable alternative.
"Load again!" cried Wade. "Let me try a shot!"
About the same quantity of powder was used as before. Wade did not depress the muzzle, if I recollect aright, at all. Consequently, on firing, the ball did not touch the water till near the shore, when it skipped once, and bounded to the beach, going among a whole pack of the howling dogs. A dreadful "Ti-yi" came wafted to our ears. One, at least, had been hit. With a glass we could see him writhing and jumping about. At this some of the crowd ran off up the ledges for several rods, and stood gazing anxiously off toward the schooner.
"Give 'em another!" exclaimed the captain.
But, while we were loading, twenty or thirty got into theirkayaks; and, one of theoomiakshad eight or ten in it ere Wade was ready to give them a third shot. He depressed it three degrees this time. The ball hit the water about half way to the shore, and, skipping on, struck under the stem of akayak, throwing it into the air, and, glancing against the side of the skin-cladoomiak, dashed it over and over. The crew were pitched headlong into the water. Pieces of the bone framework flew up. The skin itself seemed to have been turned wrong side out.
"Knocked it into a cocked hat!" exclaimed Kit.
"I hope none of them were killed," said Raed.
"I can't see that any of them were," remarked the captain. "They've all scrambled out, I believe. But it has scared them properly. Lord! just see themhakeit, as Palmleaf says, up those rocks! Give 'em another before they get over this scare. Knock their oldkayaksto pieces: that frightens them worst of any thing. Let me have a shot."
Reloading, the captain fired, smashing one end of anotheroomiak. Men, women, and dogs had taken to their heels, and were scampering off among the hillocks. Kit then fired a ball at an elevation of twenty degrees, which went roaring over their heads: we saw them all looking up, thenhakingit for dear life.
"Routed!" exclaimed Raed. "No blood shed either, except that dog's."
"Poor puppy!" said Wade. "I can see him lying there. Wonder it hadn't hit some of them."
"Well, it's the best thing we could do," said Kit. "Even if some of them had been hit, it would be better than fighting them out here."
"Still, I am very glad not to have slaughtered any of the poor creatures," remarked Raed.
"Don't say too much; they may come back," Capt. Mazard observed.
But, though there was not sufficient wind to enable us to get away till three o'clock the next day, we saw nothing more of them.
The Dip of the Needle.—The North Magnetic Pole.—AKayakBottom up, with its Owner Head down.—Ice-Patches.—Anchoring to an Ice-floe.—A Bear-hunt in the Fog.—Bruin charges his Enemies.—Soundings.—The Depth of the Straits.
The Dip of the Needle.—The North Magnetic Pole.—AKayakBottom up, with its Owner Head down.—Ice-Patches.—Anchoring to an Ice-floe.—A Bear-hunt in the Fog.—Bruin charges his Enemies.—Soundings.—The Depth of the Straits.
Before we were up next morning "The Curlew" was on her way.
A great number of small islands, not even indicated on our chart, compelled us to veer to the southward during the forenoon.
For several days the needle of our compass had been giving us some trouble by its strong inclination todip. Three times, since starting, we had been obliged to move the sliding weight out a little on the bar. The farther north we got, the stronger was the tendency of the north pole, or end of the needle, to point downward, and the south pole to rise up correspondingly. By running the sliding weight out a little toward the south pole, its leverage was increased, and the parallel position restored. This was what Capt. Mazard was doing when we went on deck that morning.
"How do you account for thisdippingof the needle?" he asked Raed.
"By the present theory of magnetism, the earth itself is considered to be a magnet with two poles," replied Raed. "These poles attract and repel the corresponding poles of a magnetic needle, just as another large needle would. The nearer we get up to the north magnetic pole of the earth, the more the pole of our needle is pulled down toward it. We're not such a great distance from it now. What's our latitude this morning?"
"63° 27'."
"Capt. Ross, in the expedition of 1829, made out the earth's north magnetic pole to be in 70° north latitude, farther west, in the upper part of Hudson Bay. At that place he reports that a magnetic needle, suspended so that it turned easily, pointed directly downward."
"We've got a needle hung in a graduated scale downstairs," remarked Kit.
We had nearly forgotten it, however.
"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 adipof 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 thedipis 88-2/3°, however."
"Of course this magnetic pole that Ross found in 70° is not thebona fidenorth pole of the earth," Wade observed.
"Oh, no!" said the captain. "Thegenuinenorth pole is not so easily reached."
"It's curious what this magnetic attraction is," said Kit reflectively.
"It is now considered to be the same thing as electricity, is it not?" I asked.
"Yes," replied Kit; "but whether they are afluidor aforceis not so clear. Tyndall and Faraday think they are a sort offorce."
"It is found that thisdipof the needle, or, in other words, the position of the magnetic poles, varies with the amount of heat which the earth receives from the sun," remarked Raed. "We know that heat can be changed into electricity, and, consequently, into magnetism. So, at those seasons of the year when the earth receives least sun-heat, there is least electric and magnetic force."
"That only confirms me in my belief that the luminiferous ether through which light and heat come from the sun is really the electric and magnetic element itself," remarked Kit; "that strange fluid which runs through the earth as water does through a sponge, making currents, the direction of which are indicated by these magnetic poles. The same silent fluid which makes this needle point down to the deck makes the telegraphic instrument click, makes the northern lights, and makes the lightning."
"I agree with you exactly," said Raed.
It's no use talking with these two fellows: they've made a regular hobby of this thing, and ride it every chance they get.
Prince Henry's Foreland, on the south side of the straits, was in sight at noon, distant, we presumed,—from our estimate of the width of the passage at this place,—about eleven leagues. It is a high, bold promontory of the south main of Labrador. At this distance it rises prominently from the sea. The glass shows it to be bare, and destitute of vegetation. By two o'clock,P.M., we had passed the scattered islets, and bore up toward the north main again to avoid the floating ice. At five we were running close under a single high island of perhaps an acre in extent, and rising full a hundred feet above the sea, when old Trull, who was in the bows, called sharply to theman at the wheel to put the helm a-starboard.
"What's that for?" shouted the captain, who was standing near the binnacle.
"Come and take a look at this, sur," replied the old man.
Kit and I were just coming up the companion-stairs, and ran forward with the captain. A long, leather-coloredfish, as we thought at first, was floating just under the starboard bow.
"Thought it was a low ledge," said the old man. "I see 'twan't a moment after. I take that to be a sea-sarpent, sur."
As the object was certainly twenty feet long, and not more than a foot and a half in diameter, Trull's supposition had the benefit of outside resemblance. The captain seized one of the pike-poles, and made a jab at it; but the schooner, under full headway, had passed it too far.
"Get a musket!" shouted Kit.
We all made a rush down stairs for the gun-rack. Only three were loaded. Catching up one of these, I ran up.
"Off astern there!" cried Weymouth.
We were already fifty yards away; but, getting a glimpse of it, I fired. There was no movement.
"Missed him!" exclaimed Wade. "I'll bore him!"
He fired. 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 three," laughed Wade.
"That fish must either bear a charmed life, or else it's ball-proof!" Kit exclaimed.
Meanwhile "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 which old Trull had drawn in the boat some days before; and, on getting back within twenty yards, he threw it off. It struck into the water beyond, and, on being drawn in, played over the back of the leathern object till one of the hooks caught fast. Still there was no movement.
"There can't be any life in it," said Wade.
Raed pulled in slowly, the captain assisting him, till they had drawn it up under the bows. It certainly looked as much like a sea-serpent as any thing yet. A strong line, with another grapple, was then let down, and hooked into it with a jerk. Donovan and Hobbs tugged away at it; one foot—two feet—three feet.
"Humph!" exclaimed the captain. "One of those Huskykayaks!"
Four feet—five feet—six feet. Something rose with it, dripping underneath.
"Good Heavens!" exclaimed Raed, turning away.
"There's an Esquimaux in it, hanging head down!" cried Kit.
The sailors crowded round. It was a ghastly sight. The legs of the 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 to have expected any thing else!" exclaimed Corliss. "To go to sea with his feet fast in such a little skite of a craft as that! Might ha' known the darned thing 'ud 'a' capsized an' drownded him."
"What shall we do withit?" I asked. "We might sink it with three or four of those six-pound shot, I suppose."
"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 Raed. "It's a sad sight at best."
"Of course it is. But then we've only got seventeen balls left, and no knowing how many battles to fight."
This last argument was a clincher.
"Let go!" ordered the captain.
Don and Hobbs shook the line violently, but couldn't tear out the grapple from the tough seal-skin.
"Well, let go line and all, then!" cried the captain.
With a dull plash thekayakfell back into the sea; and we all turned away.
At midnight the ice-patches were thickening rapidly; 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-floe of many acres extent. The schooner gradually drifted up to it. Raed and Kit had gone on deck.
"I think we may as well make fast to it," I heard the captain say; and, a moment later, the order was given to get out the ice-anchors.
Wade and I then went up. "The Curlew" lay broadside against the floe. The wind, with a current caused perhaps by the tide, held us up to it so forcibly, that the vessel careened slightly. Weymouth and Hobbs were getting down on to the ice with the ice-chisels in their hands, and, going off twenty or thirty yards, began to cut holes. The ice-anchors were then thrown over on to the floe. To each of them was bent one of our two-and-a-half-inch hawsers. The anchorsthemselves were, as will probably be remembered, simply large, strong grapnels. Dragging them along to the holes, they were hooked into the ice, and the hawsers drawn in tight from deck. Planks, secured to the rail by lines, were then run down to bear the chafe. This was our process of anchoring to ice. Sometimes three or four grapnels were used when the tendency to swing off was greater. To-night there was so much floating ice all about, that the swell was almost entirely broken, and the schooner lay as quiet as if in a country lake. A watch was set, and we turned in again.
Breakfast 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. Occasionally a cake of ice would bump up against us. We could hear them grinding together all about; yet the wind was light, otherwise we might have had heavier thumps. About seven o'clock we heard a splashing out along the floe.
"Seals!" remarked the captain.
"Bet you, I'll have one of those fellows!" exclaimed Donovan, catching up a pike-pole, and dropping over the rail.
"Can he get near enough to kill them with a pole, suppose?" Wade queried.
"That's the way the sealers kill them,"replied the captain. "Send the men out on the ice with nothing but clubs and knives. The seals can't move very fast: nothing but their flippers to help themselves with. The men run along the edges of the ice, and get between them and the water. The seals make for the water; and the men knock them on the heads with clubs, and then butcher them."
"It's a horribly bloody business, I should think," said Raed.
"Well, not so bad as a Brighton slaughter-pen, quite," rejoined the captain. "But I never much admired it, I must confess."
Just then Donovan came racing out of the fog, and, jumping for the rail, drew his legs up as if he believed them in great peril.
"What ails you?" Kit cried out. "What are you running from?"
"Oh! nothing—much," replied Donovan, panting. "Met—a—bear out here: that's all."
"Met a bear!" exclaimed Raed.
"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. He looked pretty big. I'd nothing but the pole, you know."
"We must have him!" exclaimed Wade.
"Best way will be to let down the boat, andwork round the floe to prevent his taking to the water," advised the captain. "They will swim like ducks three 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. "They'll be handy if we should come to close quarters with him."
Raed and Wade, with the captain, were getting ready to go out on the ice. Weymouth and Hobbs were already in the boat. Kit and I followed.
"Now be very careful about firing in this fog," the captain called after us. "We are going off to the right, round the edge of the floe on that side. You keep off on the left to see that he don't escape that way. Head him up toward the schooner if you can; but look out how you shoot."
Old Trull and Corliss, each with a gun, had been stationed at the rail to shoot the bear from the deck if he should come out in sight.
Thus arranged, we pulled away, veering in and out among the ice-patches, and keeping about twenty yards from the floe. We could just see the edge of it rising a few feet from the water.
"Guess the bear run from Don after all hisfright," said Weymouth when we had gone a hundred yards or more.
He was not on our side, we felt pretty sure; and, a few minutes later, Guard barked, and we heard the captain shouting from across the field.
"Here he is over here!" And a moment after, "Gone over towards your side! Look out for him!"
Welooked outas sharply as we could for fog: nevertheless, the first notice we got of his arrival in our vicinity was a splash into the water several rods farther on.
"Give way sharp," shouted Kit, "or we shall lose him!"
The boat leaped under the strong stroke; and, a moment after, we saw the bear climbing out on to a cake, which tipped up as he got on to it.
"Give him your shot, Wash!" Kit exclaimed.
We were not more than fifty feet away. I aimed for his head, and let go. The bullet clipped one of his ears merely, and he turned round with a dreadfully savage growl. Of course it was a bad shot; but some allowance must be made for the rocking of the boat. As he turned to us, the ice-cake tipped and rolled under him, nearly throwing him off; at which he growled andbarked outall the louder. Kit hesitated to fire.
"He might make a break, and get his paws onto the boat before we could back off, if you shouldn't kill him," said Hobbs.
"Load as quick as you can, Wash," Kit said. "I'll wait till we have a reserve shot."
Meanwhile we heard voices coming out on the floe. Guard began to bark again, and came jumping from cake to cake out within a few rods of the bear, and rather between us and him.
"Be ready, now," said Kit; when some one of the party on the floe fired on a sudden.
Instantly the bear jumped for the dog; and the dog, turning, leaped for a little cake between him and the boat. The bear splashed through, and gained the cake Guard had stood on.
Crack—crack! from the floe.
The bear growled frightfully as he felt the bullets, and plunged after the dog. We both fired as he went down into the water. Guard's paws were already on the gunwale, when the bear rose, head and paws, and swept the dog down with him,souse! A howl and a growl mingled. The water was streaked red with the bear's blood. The captain and Wade and Donovan came leaping out from one fragment to another. Up popped the dog's black head. Something bumped the bottom of the boat simultaneously. The bear had come up under us, and floated out on the port side, a great mass of dripping, struggling white hair. Everybody wasshouting now. Wade fired. Bits of blazing cartridge-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 Wade 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 skinning 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 hundred 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.