OF THE POLAR SEA. 227 
originally inhabited some land to the northward 
which is separated by the sea from this country ; 
and that in the earliest ages of the world a party 
of these men came over, and stole a woman from 
their tribe, whom they carried to this distant 
country and kept in a state of slavery. She was 
very unhappy in her situation, and effected her 
escape after many years’ residence among them. 
The forlorn creature wandered about, for some 
days, in a state of uncertainty what direction to 
take, when she chanced to fall upon a beaten 
path, which she followed, and was led to the sea. 
At the sight of the ocean her hope of being able 
to return to her native country vanished, and she 
sat herself down in despair, and wept. A wolf 
now advanced to caress her, and having licked 
the tears from her eyes, walked into the water, 
and she perceived with joy that it did not reach 
up to the body of the animal; emboldened by 
this appearance, she instantly arose, provided 
two sticks to support herself, and determined on 
following the wolf. The first and second nights 
she proceeded on, without finding any increase 
in the depth of the water, and when fatigued, 
rested herself on the sticks, whose upper ends 
she fastened together for the purpose. She was 
alarmed on the third morning, by arriving at 
a deeper part, but resolved on = forward 
2 
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