ESQUIMAUX MUSIC. 
383 
short journeys, soon flamed with a cheerful fire. The 
soup-pot, the walrus-steak, and the hot coffee were the 
next things to be thought of; and, while these were 
getting ready, an India-rubber floor-cloth was fastened 
over the gaping entrance of the cave. 
“ During our long march and its series of ice-fights 
we had taken care to manifest no weariness, and had, 
indeed, borne both Ootuniah and Myouk at times upon 
our shoulders. We showed no signs either of cold; so 
that all this preparation and rich store of appliances 
could not be attributed by the Esquimaux to effemi¬ 
nacy or inferior power. I could see that they were 
profoundly impressed with a conviction of our supe¬ 
riority, the last feeling which the egotistical self-conceit 
of savage life admits. 
“I felt sure now that they were our more than 
sworn friends. They sang ‘Amna Ayah’ for us, their 
rude, monotonous song, till our ears cracked with the 
discord; and improvised a special eulogistic chant, 
Am - na - yah, Am - na - yah, Am - na - yah, Am - na - yah, 
which they repeated over and over again with laugh¬ 
able gravity of utterance, subsiding always into the 
refrain of ‘NalegaJc! nalegak! nalegalc-soalc!’ ‘Captain! 
captain ! great captain!’ They nicknamed and adopted 
all of us as members of their fraternity, with grave 
and abundant form; reminding me through all their 
