ESQUIMAUX DANCE ON SHORE. 



63 



whaling fashion, towing the new arrival into harbor. Four boats, 

 of beautiful form and finish — two white, with blue gunwales, and 

 two green — were in a line ahead of the Rescue, pulling her along, 

 while the merry voices of our men resounded upon the still wa- 

 ters, and were echoed back from the bold mountains in answering 

 glee. It was a pretty sight as witnessed from the schooner's deck, 

 and one to be often remembered. " Otto," a pure-blooded Esqui- 

 maux, stood at the wheel to steer us in, and all hands besides, ex- 

 cept the cook, were in the boats. 



At midnight we came to an anchor within a couple of stones' 

 throw of Government House. 



Both Otto and Lars Kleijt were reckoned such good men and 

 ice pilots that every confidence was placed in them. I asked the 

 latter, 11 What for" — meaning how much — " you go to West Land 

 (King William's Land) with me?" His answer was, " My mother 

 old man — she get no dinner — my little ones die !" 



Captain Walker, of a Scotch whaler, last year tried to get 

 "Lars" to go with him, and offered to make him second mate; 

 but Lars said, " Me no go for all the world. My family!" A 

 noble fellow this Lars. But, poor man! he was then much dis- 

 tressed, owing to the loss of his wife, who had died a few weeks 

 previous to our visit. He himself appeared very sick, and my 

 sincere wish was that so good a husband, son, and parent might 

 be spared for his little ones and the mother he so greatly loved. 



Otto loved his grog. He and Lars went out fishing. On re- 

 turn, coming aboard, he most earnestly asked for a glass of spirits, 

 "to keep salt-water out of poor Esquimaux!" 



In the evening of the following day, myself, the captain, mate, 

 Lamb, and most of the crew, went on shore to a grand dance given 

 by the Esquimaux girls to the white-men visitors. Sterry, our 

 genial Sterry, was in his element. He had a most capital faculty 

 for gaining the affections of the fair sex, and proved himself ex- 

 cellent on the variations. He had a continual crowd of the good- 

 looking around him. We had an old sea-captain (an Esquimaux), 

 Ironface, as a fiddler, perched up in the window, with pipe in his 

 mouth, and merry, right merry did all of us become. Several 

 dances, in excellent order, were performed, and many of our com- 

 pany went through their waltzing with Esquimaux partners in 

 capital style. Every thing was done in the most kindly and 

 agreeable manner ; and when the party broke up, it left upon the 

 mind of eada of us a feeling of the most friendly nature. 



