A Musical Instrument. 



SI 



pai/ed, but would return that season, when the whole of 

 her children would again perform many beautiful airs, for 

 in fact anybody could use it with ease, as when she or the 

 children felt fatigued the servant played on it for them. 

 Rather surprised at the extraordinary powers of this fam- 

 ily of musicians, I asked what sort of an instrument it 

 was, when she described it as follows : * Gentlemen, my 

 instrument is large, longer than broad, and stands on four 

 legs like a table ; at one end is a crooked handle, by 

 turning which round either fast or slow I do assure you 

 we make excellent music' The lips of my young friends 

 and companions instantly curled, but a glance from me as 

 instantly recomposed their features. Telling the fair one 

 it must be a hand-organ she used, she laughingly said, 

 ' Oh, that is it, it is a hand-organ, but I had forgotten the 

 name, and for the life of me could not recollect it.' The 

 husband had gone out to work, and was in the harbor 

 caulking an old schooner. He dined with me on board 

 the Ripley, and proved to be an excellent fellow. Like 

 his brother-in-law, he had seen much of the world, having 

 sailed nearly round it; and although no scholar, like him, 

 too, he was disgusted with it. He held his land on the 

 same footing as his neighbors, caught seals without num- 

 ber, lived comfortably and happily, visited his father-in- 

 law and the scholar by the aid of his dogs, of which he 

 kept a great pack, bartered or sold his commodities as his 

 relations did, and cared about nothing else in the world. 

 Whenever the weather was fair he w^alked with his dame 

 over the snow-covered rocks of the neighborhood, and 

 during winter killed ptarmigans and caraboos, while his 

 eldest son attended to the traps and skinned the animals 

 caught by them. He had the only horse that was to be 

 found in that part of the country, as well as several cows ; 

 but, above all, he was kind to every one, and every one 

 spoke well of him. The only disagreeable thing about 



