LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
887 
at the occurrence of the accident. In fact, the risible disposi¬ 
tions of Alwak appeared to be excited on the most trivial occa¬ 
sions, and if the Esquimaux could have been induced to form 
themselves into a theatrical company, Alwak would undoubtedly 
have been chosen as the most proper person to fill the character 
of a clown. He had also one of the properties peculiar to that 
notorious personage, that he had no particular respect for persons, 
for Blankey the mate was often the object of his mischievous 
tricks, and, in some instances, Commander Ross himself did not 
escape them. Still, however, all his actions were accompanied 
with such apparent good nature, and a kind of uncontrolable 
mirth, that instead of taking offence, Commander Ross rather 
encouraged him in his attempted buffooneries, which, although 
clumsy and awkward in the extreme, brought many a smile on 
the countenances of the travellers, and tended in a great degree 
to enliven the dreariness of their situation. Commander Ross 
however found it necessary to impose a check upon him in one 
respect, and that was his frequent visitations to the store of 
provisions, from which it appeared that he considered himself 
possessed of the right to abstract a portion, whenever his appetite 
demanded it, which appetite appeared like the anger of the 
Irishman, to be no sooner off than it was on again, and not 
being very particular in the choice of his viands, he generally 
seized upon the first object, that presented itself, and never 
stopped until the whole of it was consumed. There was how¬ 
ever something contradictory in his character, for a greedy man 
is generally a selfish one: this, however, was not the case with 
Alwak, for he not only seized every opportunity of stowing 
away something eatable in his own trowsers, but he contrived 
also to slip some article into those of Ooblooraiak, mak¬ 
ing his usual antics on the occasion, as if he had committed 
a most meritorious deed. It sometimes happened, that their 
course lay over such a rugged surface, that Commander Ross 
and the mate were obliged to leave the sledges, and proceed on 
foot, and on those occasions, where the passage was attended 
with any danger, he would take Commander Ross on his back 
and travel with him, laughing during the whole of the time, 
