THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



731 



and walrus meat with the men ; singling out the astronomer of 

 the expedition, who sat next to her, she first chewed a piece of 

 frozen bird meat, and then presented to him the well-masticated 

 morsel, which, however, he declined, upon the plea of a weak 

 stomach. Hayes continues the description of this characteristic 

 incident as follows : 



*' So great a courtesy she did not expect would be declined 

 under any pretense, and she seemed quite mortified ; but, nothing 

 daunted, she passed the lump over to me ; but no, I could not 



AN ESQUIMAU DANDY THE WIDOW'S "FELLOW." 



oblige her. With quite a desponding face she crossed the floor 

 and tried Whipple. Not meeting with success in that quarter, 

 she came back to Mr. Bonsall, who was already quite a philoso- 

 pher in making his tastes subservient to his physical wants. 'Now 

 for it, Bonsall ! ' cried Petersen. These words of encouragement 

 had the effect to call forth a hearty laugh on all sides; which, 

 being misunderstood by the widow, she hastily withdrew her 

 offering of friendship, bolted it herself, and in offended silence 

 went on with her work of skinning birds and swallowing them,- 



