ESQUIMAUX VENTRILOQUISTS. 177 



moment, and he at length seated himself on the 

 deck, varying his tones, and making a rustling 

 with his clothes. Suddenly the voice seemed 

 smothered, and was so managed as to sound as 

 if retreating beneath the deck, each moment be- 

 coming more distant, and ultimately giving the 

 idea of being many feet below the cabin, when 

 it ceased entirely. His wife now, in answer to 

 my queries, informed me very seriously, that he 

 had dived, and that he would send up Tornga. 

 Accordingly, in about half a minute, a distant 

 blowing was heard very slowly approaching, and 

 a voice, which differed from that at first heard, 

 was at times mingled with the blowing, until at 

 length both sounds became distinct, and the old 

 woman informed me that Tornga was come to 

 answer my questions. I accordingly asked 

 several questions of the sagacious spirit, to each 

 of which inquiries I received an answer by two 

 loud claps on the deck, which I was given to 

 understand were favourable. 



" A very hollow, yet powerful voice, certainly 

 much different from the tones of Toolemak, now 

 chanted for some time, and a strange jumble of 

 hisses, groans, shouts, and gabblings like a turkey, 

 succeeded in rapid order. The old woman sang 

 with increased energy; and as I took it for granted 

 that this was all intended to astonish the Kabloona, 

 I cried repeatedly that I was very much afraid. 

 This, as I expected, added fuel to the fire, until 

 the poor immortal, exhausted by its own might, 

 asked leave to retire. 



" The voice gradually sank from our hearing as 

 at first, and a very indistinct hissing succeeded ; 

 in its advance it sounded like the tone produced 



