A F Pv I G A. 
their coriverfatiou was engrofled by this un- 
fortunate fubjed ; and fo heated were their 
imaginations, that, when I awoke the next 
morning, they came to me In a body to beg 
I would allow fix men with tw^o oxen to 
make an excurfion to the fliore, for the pur- 
pofe of colle£ling a certain quantity of the 
melted blubber, which would afford them fo de- 
licious a treat. This, however, was not pre- 
cifely the motive they alleged, to induce me 
to load my waggons with this additional In- 
cumbrance. They pretended to have my 
interefl in view : the traces and axle-trees of 
my carriages, they faid, had aimoft every mo- 
ment need of being oiled ; they wanted it even 
at prefent, as they had not for a long time 
been greafed ; and I fliould run, perhaps, the 
rifque of not finding again fo favourable an 
opportunity. 
Thefe pretences., though apparently founded 
in truth, had with me very little weight. I 
had juft learned that, during my abfence, two 
of my bed oxen, while drinking at the river, 
had been carried away by the current and 
drowned ; and there was reafon to apprehend 
that the fame accident might happen to others. 
S 3 I had 
