284 Notices respecting New’ Books. 
desire to possess them, and were accordingly presented with some 
nails. They now accompanied us to that part of the bow from 
which a rope ladder was suspended, and the mode of mounting it 
was shown them; but it wasa considerable time ere we could 
prevail on them to ascend it. At length the senior, who always 
led the way, went up, and was followed by the rest. The new 
wonders that now surrounded them on every side caused fresh 
astonishment, which after a moment’s suspense, always termi- 
nated in loud and hearty laughter, 
“The most frequent ejaculation of surprise was Heigh, yaw! 
and, when particularly excited by any more remarkable object 
than the rest, they pronounced the first syllable of the interjec- 
tion many times with peculiar rapidity and emphasis, extending 
wide their arms, and looking at each other at the end of the ex- 
clamation with open mouths, as ifin breathless consternation. 
“Their knowledge of wood seemed to be limited to some heath 
of a dwarfish growth, with stems no thicker than the finger, and 
accordingly they knew not what to think of the timber they saw 
on board. Not being aware of its weight, two or three of them 
successively seized on the spare top-mast, evidently with the 
view of carrying it off; and as soon as they became familiar with 
the people around them, they showed that desire of possessing 
what they admired, which is so universal among savages. The 
only thing they looked on with contempt was a little terrier dog, 
judging, no doubt, that it was too small for drawing a sledge ; 
but they shrunk back, as if in terror, froma pig, whose pricked 
ears, and ferocious aspect (being of the Shetland breed) presented 
a somewhat formidable appearance. This animal happening to 
grunt, one of them was so terrified, that he became from that 
moment uneasy, and appeared impatient to get out of the ship. 
In carrying his purpose into effect, however, he did not lose his 
propensity to thieving, as he seized and endeavoured to carry off 
the smith’s anvil; finding that he could not remove it, he laid 
hold of the large hammer, threw it ou the ice, and following it 
himself, deliberately set it on his sledge, and made off. As this 
was an article I could not spare, I sent a person to recover it, who 
followed him, hallooing, and soon got pretty near him. Seeing 
that he must be overtaken, he artfully sunk it in the snow, and 
went on with the sledge, by which we were convinced that he 
knew he was doing wrong. The seaman, on finding the hammer, 
left off the pursuit, and returned, while he went off, and was seen 
no more that day. Shortly after, another of them, who had re- 
ceived a-present, consisting of a small hammer and some nails, 
left the ship also, and putting his acquisition upon the remaining 
sledge, dragged it away with him, and disappeared. 
** Among other amusements afforded to the officers and men 
on 
