TRADE WITH THE NATIVES. 



127 



At midnight there was a fine display of the aurora borealis, or 

 rather aurora australis, for the direction in which the lights ap- 

 peared was south, not north of us. The barometer stood at 30.05 ; 

 thermometer, 32°; wind, moderate N.W., and the sky "clear as 

 a bell." I took on deck two delicate compasses to observe if they 

 would be affected by the lights, but they were not in the least. 

 The display was really beautiful; the streams darting up like 

 lightning, and passing the zenith. Some banks of light were so 

 thick that the stars behind were obscured, even those of the first 

 magnitude. 



The following day we had a visit from Artarkparu, who, I find, 

 is brother to Allokee, the man whose grave I had noticed. Ar- 

 tarkparu had a single brass button, as an ornament, pendent from 

 his skin coat. The device on it was a bee with expanded wings, 

 and the motto "Vive ut vivas." 



A young man Esquimaux, whom we called Napoleon, from a 

 resemblance in features to Bonaparte, used to visit us daily, 

 dressed in a blue military coat minus the tail (which had been 

 completely torn off), and with a row of big brass buttons running 

 over each shoulder and down in front. The device on these but- 

 tons was three cannon on carriages, with a crown for the crest. 



Another comical sight was a fat Esquimaux woman who ap- 

 peared among us dressed in an old calico curtain put on over 

 her sealskin suit. The number of natives now visiting us was 

 very great, but it was made a rule that all except a privileged 

 few should leave the ship at 8 P. M. During the day much trade 

 was carried on in bartering for skins, walrus tusks, etc. One pair 

 of tusks measured full twenty-six inches in length. The skull of 

 the walrus is very firm and thick. No rifle-ball would have the 

 least effect on it. I have specimens that will show this. 



Decidedly the Esquimaux are a happy people. As they crowd- 

 ed our decks, I one day noticed about a dozen women seated and 

 busily engaged at their work. Two were mending one of the 

 boat's sails. Some were chewing ooh-gooh (large seal) skins for 

 soles of kum-ings (native boots), others sewing ; while one was 

 tending a cross baby. This little fellow, by-the-by, was generally 

 as good-humored as the rest, but a piece of raw seal-blubber had 

 disordered him, and hence his troublesome manner. It is rare to 

 find an Esquimaux child but what is very quiet, and only on ex- 

 traordinary occasions will they raise any cries. One Esquimaux 

 lady, whose husband was as dark as half the negroes of the States, 



