Left on Labrador Part 15

Such an unblessed discord! such a cry of pristine savagery! They came darting up alongside, their great fat, flat, greasy faces, with their little sharp black eyes, looking up to us full of confidence and twinkling with expectation of good bargains.

During our voyage we had got out of our books quite a number of Esquimaux words with their English meanings; but these fellows gabbled so fast, so shockingly indistinct, and ran every thing together so, that we could not gain the slightest idea of what they were saying, further than by the word "_chymo_," which, as we had previously learned, meant _trade_, or _barter_. But they had nothing with them to trade off to us, save their _kayaks_, paddles, and harpoons.

"But let's get a lot of them up here where we can see them," said Wade.

We now made signs for them to climb on deck; and immediately half a dozen of them stood up, and, with a spring, caught hold of the rail, and came clambering up, leaving their canoes to float about at random.

Five--seven--eleven--thirteen--came scratching over.

"There, that'll do for one dose," said Raed.

Kit and Wade stepped along, and thrust out their muskets to stop the stream. One little fellow, however, had got half up: so they let him nig in, making fourteen in all. Three or four more had tried to get up near the stern; but Weymouth and Don, who were on duty there, rapped their knuckles gently, as a reminder to let go and drop back into their _kayaks_, which they did without grumbling. Indeed, they seemed singularly inoffensive; and, come to get them on deck, they were "little fellows,"--not so tall as we boys even by a whole head. They were pretty thick and stout, however, and had remarkably large heads and faces. I do not think the tallest of them was much, if any, over five feet. Donovan, who was about six feet, looked like a giant beside them. They stood huddled together, looking just a little wistful at being cut off from their fellows, and casting fearful glances at Guard, who stood barking excitedly at them from the companion-way.

Though used to dogs, they had very likely never seen a jet-black Newfoundland before. Possibly they mistook him for some different animal.

"What are we thinking of," exclaimed Raed, "with our guns and bayonets! Why, these little chaps look the very embodiment of good nature! Here they trust themselves among us without so much as a stick in their hands; while we've got out all our deadly weapons! Let's let the rest of them come up if they want to."

Kit and Wade stood back, and beckoned to the others: whereat they all came climbing up, save one, who stayed, apparently, to look out for the empty _kayaks_, which were floating about. They brought rather strong odors of smoke and greasy manginess; but more good-natured faces I never saw.

"My eye! but aren't they flabby fat!" exclaimed Hobbs.

"That comes of drinking seal and whale oil," said Bonney.

"Guess they don't sport combs much," said Donovan. "Look at those tousled heads! Bet you, they're lousy as hens!"

"Talk to 'em, Raed," said Kit. "Say something. Ask 'em if they want to _chymo_."

At the sound of this last word they turned their little sharp eyes brightly on Kit.

"_Chymo?_" said Raed interrogatively.

Instantly they began to crowd round him, a dozen jabbering all at once. Faster even than before they ran on, amid which we could now and then distinguish words which sounded like _oomiaksook_, _hennelay_, _cob-loo-nak_, _yemeck_. These words, as we had read, meant _big s.h.i.+p_, _woman_, _Englishman_, _water_, respectively. But it was utterly impossible to make out in what connection they were used.

Despite our vocabulary, we were as much at a loss as ever.

"Confound it!" Kit exclaimed. "Let's make signs. No use trying to _talk_ with them."

"We shall want one of those _kayaks_ to carry home," remarked Raed.

"Captain, will you please bring up a couple of those long bars of iron and three or four yards of red flannel? We will see what can be done in the _chymo_ line."

Capt. Mazard soon appeared with the iron and the flannel; at sight of which the exclamation of "_Chymo!_" and "_Tyma!_" ("Good!") were redoubled. Raed then took the articles, and, going to the side, pointed down to one of the canoes, then to the iron bars, and said _chymo_. At that some of them said "_Tyma_," and others "_Negga-mai_,"

with a shake of their heads; but when Raed pointed to both the iron and the flannel, undoubling it as he did so, they all cried "_Tyma!_"

and one of them (the owner of the _kayak_, as it proved) came forward to take the things. Raed gave them to him. A line with a slip-noose was then dropped over the nose of the _kayak_, and it was pulled on board.

In plan it was much like our cedar "sh.e.l.ls" used at regattas,--a narrow skiff about twenty-three feet in length by eighteen inches in width. At the centre there was a small round hole just large enough for one to sit with his legs under the seal-skin deck, which was bound tightly to a hoop encircling the hole. Indeed, the whole outside of this singular craft was of seal-skins, sewed together and drawn tight as a drum-head over a frame composed mainly of the rib-bones of the walrus. The double-bladed paddle was tied to the _kayak_ with a long thong; as was also a harpoon, made of bones laid together, and wound over with a long thong of green seal-skin. The lance-blade at the point was of very white, fine ivory; probably that of the walrus.

Attached to the harpoon was a very long coil of line, made also of braided seal-skin, and wound about a short, upright peg behind the hoop. We supposed that the paddle and the harpoon went with the _kayak_. But the owner did not see it in that light. As soon as it had been hauled on deck, he proceeded to untie the thongs, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the captain. As we wished these articles to go together, nothing remained but to drive a new bargain for them. Raed, therefore, took one of our large jack-knives from his pocket, and, opening it, pointed to the paddle, and again said _chymo_.

They all _negga-mai-ed_, giving us to understand that it wouldn't be a fair trade; in other words, that they couldn't afford it: and the owner of the paddle kept repeating the work _karrack_ deprecatingly.

"What in the world does _karrack_ mean?" Raed asked, turning to us.

n.o.body knew.

"_Karrack?_" queried he.

"_Karrack, karrack!_" was the reply.

"_Karrack, karrack, karrack!_" they all cried, pointing to the paddle and also to the bulwarks.

"They mean _wood!_" exclaimed the captain. "Corliss, bring up two or three of those four-foot sticks such as we are using for firewood."

It was brought, and thrown down on deck.

"_Karrack, karrack!_" they all exclaimed, and fell to laughing in a most extraordinary way, making a noise which seemed to come from low down in their stomachs, and resembled the syllables _heh-heh_, or _yeh-yeh_, over and over and over. Raed pointed to the three sticks of wood, and then to the paddle, with another "_chymo_." That was _tyma_; for they all nodded and _heh-hehed_ again.

"A trade," said the captain. "Now for the harpoon and line."

These we got for a bar of iron and another stick of wood. It at first seemed rather singular that they should prize a stick of ordinary split wood so highly; but it was easily accounted for when we came to reflect that this vast region is dest.i.tute of trees of any size. Wood was almost as eagerly sought for as iron. I have no doubt that a very profitable trade might be made with a cargo of wood along these straits, exchanged for walrus-ivory, bear-skins, and seal-skins.

They wore a sort of jacket, or round frock, of bear-skin, with a cap, or hood, fastened to the collar like the hood of a water-proof. It was tied with thongs in front, and came down to the thigh. Kit bought one of these for a jack-knife,--for a curiosity, of course. Wade also purchased a pair of seal-skin moccasons, with legs to the knee, for a butcher-knife; which gave us a chance to observe that the owner wore socks of dog-skin, with the hair in. A pair of these were _chymoed_ from another man for a stick of wood.

Beneath their bear-skin frocks they wore a s.h.i.+rt of some thin skin, which the captain p.r.o.nounced to be bladder-skin,--of bears, perhaps. I got one of these s.h.i.+rts for a jack-knife. Wis.h.i.+ng to have an entire outfit, we bought a pair of breeches of the man of whom we had already purchased the boots, for a dozen spike-nails. These were of fox-skin, apparently, with the hair worn next the skin. I noticed that one man wore a small white bone or ivory trinket, seemingly carved to represent a child. Pointing to it, I held out a butcher-knife,--a good bargain, I fancied. Somewhat to my surprise, he _negga-mai-ed_ with a very grave shake of his head. Two or three others who saw it shook their heads too. Wis.h.i.+ng to test him, I brought up a bar of iron, and made another tender of both knife and iron. But he shook his head still more decidedly, and turned away as if to put a stop to further bantering on the subject. We were at a loss to know whether it was a souvenir,--the image of some dead child, or an object of religious reverence. Finally the captain pointed across the ice-field, where the bear was sitting crouched on the margin of it, and said, "_Nen-ook_."

At that they all looked, and, espying him, gave vent to a series of cries and shouts. Six of them immediately dropped into their _kayaks_ and set off after him. Reaching the ice, they landed, and pulled the canoes on to it. Then, taking their harpoons, they divided into three parties of two each. One of these went straight across toward the bear; the second followed round the edge of the field to the right, the third to the left. The bear must have been pretty severely wounded by our six-ounce bullet, I think; for he paid no attention to their approach till they were within four or five rods, when he made a feeble attempt to get past them. They rushed up to him without the slightest hesitation, and despatched him in a twinkling.

CHAPTER VII.

The Husky Belles.--_We-we_ and _Caubvick.--"Abb_," she said.--All Promenade.--Candy at a Discount.--"_Pillitay, pillitay!_"--Old Trull and the Husky Matron.--Gorgeous Gifts.--Adieu to the Arctic Beauties.

None of their women had come off with them; and, while the party that had gone after the bear were busy skinning it, Raed brought up a roll of flannel, with half a dozen knives, and, holding them up, pointed off to the mainland and said, "_Henne-lay_." Whereupon they fell to _heh-hehing_ afresh with cries of "_Igloo, igloo!_" Kit pointed to our boat, hanging from the davits at the stern, and then off to the sh.o.r.e, to inquire whether we should send it for them; but they shook their heads, and cried, "_Oomiak, oomiak!_"

"Do they mean for us to take the schooner up there?" asked the captain.

Raed pointed to the deck, and then off to the sh.o.r.e, inquiringly. No, that was not it; though they still cried "_Oomiak!_" pointing off to the sh.o.r.e.

"_Oomiak_ is a boat of their own, I guess," said Kit; "different from the _kayak_. They called 'The Curlew' _oomiak-sook_, you know."

"Tell them to bring some of their children along too," said Wade.

"Well, what's the word for child?" Raed inquired.

We none of us knew.

"Try pappoose," suggested the captain.

"_Pappoose_," said Raed, p.r.o.nouncing it distinctly, and pointing off as before. "_Henne-lay_--_pappoose_."

But they only looked blank. _Pappoose_ was evidently a new word for them. We then resorted to various expedients, such as holding our hands knee-high and hip-high; but the requisite gleam of intelligence could not be inspired. So, with another repet.i.tion of the word _henne-lay_, we started off a delegation of eight or nine after the female portion of the settlement.