42 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



agreement being drawn up to the effect that the ship was to 

 have so much freight, and our crew to be paid oil money at 

 the same rate as our own, which satisfied all parties 

 concerned. 



During our stay amongst the natives, I was enabled to 

 speak the Esquimaux language, and it was very useful to me 

 whilst sailing to that country. My teachers were two girls, 

 and a boy nick-named Monkey Jack, for what reason I do 

 not know, as he was a good-looking and intelligent lad. 

 One girl went by the name of Hannah, given to her by the 

 Americans on account of her native name being too long. 

 The other was called Kukuya. Several years afterwards 

 the former got married, and came to Hull with a Mr. 

 Bowlby. She and her husband were in the Polaris as inter- 

 preters, and were drifted from the ship in a storm, on a large 

 piece of ice, down Davis's Straits, in company with twelve 

 or fourteen men, for a period of, I believe, seven months. 

 It was one of the most remarkable incidents in Arctic annals. 

 The other two, Kukuya and Monkey Jack, were married, 

 and the poor fellow was afterwards killed by a deer, which 

 he had severely wounded, and was going to put an end to. 

 It struck him in the chest with its antlers, and the wound 

 was fatal. I felt very sorry for him, as he always was a 

 great favourite, not only with me, but with all who knew 

 him. 



Our captain being a strict disciplinarian, no natives were 

 allowed on board after dark. They could stay until the crew 

 had got their tea, and then they were sent on shore. We 

 used to practice with the bow and arrow until we became 

 quite proficient in its use. Although I was so young my 

 master would take me on shore amongst the skeletons of 

 the whales, and shew me where to put lances in the most 

 vital parts. The skeletons were all far above low water 

 mark, but very little of the flesh was left on their bones. 

 At high water the sharks used to come and feed upon them. 



