MY TRAVELLING COMPANIONS. 191 



people many had never seen the Atwoit or its 

 Callowole. Secure in the friendly animus nearly 

 always displayed, and now speaking the language 

 ■with some facility, I jogged along with my savage 

 friends quite complacently, and never was allowed to 

 lag behind or need assistance ; an extra dog would be 

 speedily afforded if my own team lacked speed to 

 keep pace with the rest, and on all occasions of 

 halting, unharnessing, &c., many willing hands 

 superseded my own efforts. 



We were singularly unfortunate during this trip 

 in the weather, and in consequence I made very few 

 observations for position, the dipping-needle accom- 

 panied me as usual (together with the copper fiddle, 

 we three were inseparable), and I obtained a few 

 results of the magnetic declhiation and intensity, but 

 otherwise little of importance was achieved beyond 

 gaining additional knowledge of the manners and 

 customs of this very peculiar people. Some curious 

 but cruel modes of punishing the dogs were witnessed, 

 which one could scarcely suppose would even be 

 invented as a chastisement. The dogs turn very 

 sulky and obstinate sometimes ; I have frequently 

 seen them stop short in a most determined manner, 

 either offended with their fellows, the road, or the 

 driver, and scarcely any amount of punishment, in 



