NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 207 



in order to drive out the Evil One ; and then, 

 that we might not pollute their boats, some " ice 

 cream " — deer fat and snow — must be given to 

 them to eat, as they supposed. Thus reasoned 

 the natives. 



Soon, however, we were on our way to the 

 ships. Most gladly we turned away our eyes 

 from the shore, and turned them towards our bet- 

 ter home on the deep. 



The ship which was the nearer of the two to 

 the shore, and on board of which Captain Nor- 

 ton and his officers first went, was the Joseph 

 Hayden. When Captain Norton landed on 

 deck, dressed in native costume, unshorn, and 

 uncouth in appearance, as all were, Captain 

 Goosman asked, as well he might, and as any 

 other one would, " Is this Norton, captain of the 

 Citizen ? " He replied, " He used to be, and 

 probably was now." Captain Goosman then 

 embraced him in true sailor fashion, and cor- 

 dially welcomed him and his officers to the hos- 

 pitalities of his ship. In a few days, nearly all 

 of our number were collected from the different 

 settlements, and divided between the two ships. 



Captain Norton, being a fellow-townsman and 

 formerly a schoolmate with Captain Jernegan, 

 felt disposed, from this previous acquaintance, to 

 take up his abode on board of the Niger. Every 



