542 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



in which they are sung. Unharmonious as they will appear to musical 

 ears, we thought them pleasing when sung in good time by a number of 

 female voices. 



The first and much the most common of these is that in which the well 

 known Greenland chorus, " Amna aya," commences the performance, and 

 is introduced between each verse, constituting about five-sixths of the whole 

 song. When the words of the song are introduced, the notes rise a little for 

 three or four bars, and then relapse again into the same hum-drum chorus as 

 before, which to do it justice is well calculated to set the children to sleep. 

 The words of the song seem to be as interminable as those of " Chevy 

 Chace for the women will go on singing them for nearly half an hour, 

 and then leave off one by one, not with their story but their breath ex- 

 hausted. 



They have a second song, varying from the preceding one very slightly 

 in the tune, and accompanied by the same chorus, but with different 

 words. 



The third and last is the most tuneful of any of their songs. The ter- 

 mination, which is abrupt and fanciful, is usually accompanied by a peculiar 

 motion of the head, and an expression of archness in the countenance 

 which cannot be described by words. 



