BLIND GEOKGE AND THE MAGNET. 



Ill 



thread toward the eye of his needle, and, after several trials, the 

 thread was finally drawn through the eye by his very sensitive 

 tongue. He then grasped with his lips and teeth the end of the 

 thread, and thus the needle was threaded ! I have seen " Blind 

 George" thus thread his needle, time and again, in ten seconds ! 



Wishing to test his quality as a tailor, I gave him one of my 

 coats to mend in the sleeve. It was full of rents, but to only one 

 did I call his attention. I left him at his work ; and being myself 

 afterward busy at something else, I had forgotten him. When I 

 again went to him where he was generally seated in the main 

 cabin, he had every break mended, and all his work well done! 



I took out my little magnet and put it into his hands. He 

 passed it through and through his fingers, and then I placed the 

 armature upon it. This was a mystery to him. The Esquimaux 

 exclamations that escaped his lips were numerous and amusing. 

 I then took the armature and gave him a sewing-needle, bringing 

 it and the magnet together. This was also wondrous to him. It 

 was many minutes before he became satisfied it was really so. 

 He would pull one end of the needle off the magnet, and when he 

 let go it would fly back. The approach of an armature to a mag- 

 net, both in his hands, also greatly surprised him. As they came 

 near and he felt the attractive power, he instantly threw them 

 aside, and it was some time before I could get him to make anoth- 

 er trial. Still more careful was he the second time. The contact 

 was at last made, and made quick as lightning, but just as quick 

 did he drop the two. Finding, however, that he was not injured, 

 and that the little girls were enjoying a hearty laugh at his ex- 

 pense — they having before tried it — he at last succeeded. I next 

 tried him with a paper of needles, desiring him to bring the mag- 

 net near them. He did so, but at the cost of my time and pa- 

 tience, as I had to pick them up from all parts of the cabin. On 

 discovering that the needles had sprung from his hand, he acted 

 as if smitten by a thunderbolt, throwing needles, magnet, and all 

 helter-skelter away ! and still more, he at once declared I was an 

 An-ge-ho ! 



At this time Ugarng was often on board the ship, and one day 

 I was much amused at his vain attempts to pick up some mercu- 

 ry which I had out upon a sheet of white paper. The metal as- 

 sumed a globular shape, and looked precisely like shot made of 

 tin. Now the mercury thus presented to his view seemed to be 

 quite beyond his comprehension. Generally, an Esquimaux is 



