ESQUIMAUX PILOTS. 



45 



Daring the night our two faithful Esquimaux kept on deck, 

 watching the almost obscured mountains, that they might guide 

 us aright. Their clothing was quite wet from exposure to the 

 high seas that prevailed when they came to us, but they sat them- 

 selves down on deck, and there watched, coughed, and quivered. 

 I thought, at the time, it were better if they could be prevailed 

 upon to adopt the custom of our seamen — always on the move 

 when out in the open air ; but I understood they look upon our 

 walking to and fro as foolishness — a great amount of hard work, 

 with much expenditure of tanned skins (shoe-leather) and muscle 

 all for naught ! 



For about an hour, one of the Esquimaux made his way up 

 into a whale-boat and went to sleep. On waking, he seemed quite 

 thankful for the luxury of sleeping, though in the open air, his 

 bed, for several days past, having been on the soft side of a boat, 

 on the rocks of an island forty miles distant from Holsteinborg. 

 He and his companion had been there engaged in hunting ducks, 

 etc., when they discovered the George Henry. They were very rag- 

 ged, and Captain B presented each with some new garments, 



which made them truly thankful. Some of the articles were new 

 pants, and each man immediately put on a pair. Sampson's was 

 a fair fit — that is to say, they were tight as a drum upon him ; but 

 Ephraim's ! the waist would not meet within six inches. This, 

 however, was all the same to him. He drew a long — very long 

 breath ; so long, indeed, that I could not but think him like a 

 whale, breathing once in ten minutes, or, if occasion required it, 

 once in an hour ! Then, following this, Ephraim ceased for a 

 moment to breathe at all, while he nimbly plied his fingers, and 

 rapidly filled each button-hole with its respective button. Pants 

 were now on and completely adjusted — buttoned! but as every 

 living thing must have air or die, and as whales, when coming 

 up to breathe, make the regions round about ring with the force 

 with which they respire and inspire, so even an Esquimaux has 

 to take in fresh draughts of oxygen, or he ceases to exist. Now 

 Ephraim had, in buttoning his pants, suspended respiration for 

 some longer time than nature was capable of sustaining. Ac- 

 cordingly, nature resumed her functions, and, in the act of giving 

 a full respiration, Ephraim's pants burst, the buttons flying all over 

 the deck ! Civilization buttons and New London-made pants could 

 not stand against the sudden distention of an Esquimaux's bow- 

 els after being once so unnaturally contracted. Here the saying 



