The Little Gleaner Part 15

[3] Revelation xiv. 8.

[4] Revelation xviii. 7.

[5] Revelation xvii. 9.

[6] Revelation xviii. 4.

[7] 2 Timothy iii. 6.

EXPERIENCES IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN.

Captain Adams, of the whaling steamer _Maud_, which lately arrived at Dundee from Davis Straits, has related a few interesting incidents of his voyage.

When in Exeter Sound, Captain Adams was informed, by a native, of an island which was a favourite resort of the walrus, and where the animals could be often found asleep. He accordingly determined to try and secure an old specimen, and sent out four boats, with twenty-four men, to effect a capture. On arriving at the island, a large number of walrus were seen basking on the sh.o.r.e, and a landing was attempted, with the result that the colony soon showed their tusks, and made a deliberate attack on the boats. Ten of the foremost animals had to be shot to prevent mischief, and after a severe struggle a female walrus was la.s.soed. A number of small ropes were then fastened about it, and the huge animal was, after immense labour, hoisted into an empty boat, to which it had to be secured, to prevent it smas.h.i.+ng the planks. On being towed to the s.h.i.+p, the boat and the walrus were hoisted on board, and suitable quarters were then found for it. It is fully eighteen months old, and Captain Adams is hopeful that it will survive. A young live bear has also been brought home.

One of the noteworthy incidents of the voyage was the landing of Urio Etaw.a.n.go (the Esquimaux whom Captain Adams had staying in Dundee over last winter) at Durban, the residence of his tribe. For several days previous to the arrival of the _Maud_ off Durban, Urio was moody and disconsolate, but he did not reveal his mind, so that the crew were ignorant of his thoughts. The conjecture was, that he was sorry to return to the rude life of an Inuit, after his experience of civilized life. When the s.h.i.+p first arrived off Durban, there was a long stretch of ice running out from the land, and Urio and one of the officers travelled about fifteen miles, and lighted a fire as a signal to the tribe of his return. The signal was soon recognized, and ere long the whole tribe were seen making their way over the ice. Meantime Urio had returned to the s.h.i.+p, and he was taking a nap in his berth when the news was communicated to him of the arrival of the tribe, with his wife and child amongst them. The Inuits are a very impa.s.sive race, and it was amusing to see the cool way in which Urio and his wife shook hands, as though they had been parted twelve days instead of twelve months. Urio showed more affection towards his child, with whom he rubbed cheeks in the manner peculiar to the Inuits. But if the young wife was undemonstrative at meeting with her husband, she got into transports of joy at the sight of the numerous presents which friends of her husband in Dundee had sent out to her. One of these was a pretty melodion, and the young woman's eyes sparkled when she beheld it. To the astonishment of the s.h.i.+p's company, she lifted the instrument and played "There is nae luck aboot the hoose," finis.h.i.+ng with "The Keel Row." It was subsequently ascertained that she had learned to play several tunes on the concertina whilst resident at the American settlements on c.u.mberland Gulf. When the other presents were laid out, the delight of Urio and his wife and friends was unbounded. Several of the gaudy petticoats were seized, and the women put them on above their sealskin dresses, being so fond of display that the most showy articles are always worn outermost.

Owing to the distance of the s.h.i.+p from the sh.o.r.e, only a few of the lighter presents were removed at that time, but a month later the s.h.i.+p got near the land, when the remainder of the articles were put ash.o.r.e and taken possession of by Urio.

Captain Adams gives the Esquimaux chief the character of an honest, hard-working, warm-hearted fellow. He proved a good sailor, was beloved by all the crew, and he was a dead shot while seal-hunting. It is evident that his experience of civilized life has given him a distaste for his former mode of life, for he pleaded with Captain Adams to promise to take himself and his wife and child to Scotland next year.

Captain Adams is of opinion that the whaling at Davis Straits and Greenland is virtually exhausted. He saw only seventeen whales throughout the season.

SINGULAR CAUSE OF DEATH.

On Friday, January 13th, Mr. Wynne E. Baxter held an inquiry at the London Hospital, Whitechapel, respecting the death of Moses Raphael, aged thirty-two years, a commercial traveller, lately residing at Bromley-by-Bow, who died on the previous day in the above hospital.

About six weeks previously he complained of pains in his head and also of s.h.i.+vers, and eventually it was decided to remove him to the hospital.

Until the last few weeks the deceased had been in apparently good health. He was a wonderful brain-worker, and had kept a set of books most accurately.

Henry Muir Doyle, house-surgeon, stated that the deceased, on his admission, appeared drowsy, and complained of a pain in his head. He continued in that state till the 10th, but at times appeared quite clear-headed and rational. On the 10th, symptoms of apoplexy appeared, and deceased expired at twelve o'clock the same night. Witness said that, since death, he had made a most searching examination of the head and brain. On opening the former, he discovered an abscess in the brain.

It was about the size of a turkey's egg, and had evidently been there some time. On removing the abscess, a penholder and nib were found protruding from the top of the right orbital plate. This had produced the abscess, and the abscess had caused death. The holder and nib must have entered the brain by way of the right eye, or through the right part of the nose. It was probable that they had been in there for a considerable time, as the bone had grown over them, and it was with difficulty they were separated. He had examined the eye, but had failed to detect any injury. It was, however, quite possible for such a thing to enter beneath the lid of the open eye, and the wound to heal up, showing no signs of the entry.

The widow of the deceased man was called in, and said that her husband never mentioned to her anything about being hurt by a pen.

The coroner said that the case was the most extraordinary that had ever come before him.--_Times._

ANSWER TO BIBLE ENIGMA.

(_Page 41._)

"_The Prince of Peace._"--ISAIAH ix. 6.

T ychicus Colossians iv. 7.

H en Zechariah vi. 14.

E rastus Romans xvi. 23.

P arvaim 2 Chronicles iii. 6.

R immon Joshua xv. 32.

I rijah Jeremiah x.x.xvii. 14.

N ahum Nahum i. 7.

C arpus 2 Timothy iv. 13.

E lymas Acts xiii. 11.

O uches Exodus xxviii. 11.

F aith Hebrews xi. 6.

P erez-uzzah 2 Samuel vi. 8.

E lisheba Exodus vi. 23.

A bba Romans viii. 15.

C orinthians 1 Corinthians vi. 19.

E n-hakkore Judges xv. 19.

JOHN WEST (Aged 9 years).

_Biggleswade._

SOMETHING ABOUT FOXES.

That always entertaining writer about birds and animals, J. G. Wood, has a pleasant paper on "Foxes" in the _Child's Pictorial_. The author of "Homes without Hands" says:--

Many foxes have been known to climb trees, and hide among the branches, where no dog could smell them. Only a few months before these lines were written, the East Kent foxhounds met near Dover. The master of the hunt had been told that foxes had been seen to run up a tree, which was pointed out. A man was sent up the tree, and out came a fox, which was hidden among some ivy about twenty feet from the ground. The animal was chased, but after a while the scent failed and the fox escaped. The hunt then returned to the tree, and again sent a man up it. Presently a second fox came tumbling out of the ivy, but mistook his distance, and jumped into the middle of the hounds, which tore it to pieces before it could recover from the fall. The man continued to search the tree, and a third fox leaped out, and was killed close to the South Foreland.

In December, 1885, a fox was found near Oswestry, and after being chased for some time, it ran up a tree, to the height of at least forty feet, and hid itself among the ivy with which the tree was clothed. It was soon turned out of its shelter, and, after running for about half an hour, got away from the hounds, probably by some equally clever trick.

There are foxes known which have been hunted for several seasons and never taken; and those who have seen them run, say that the animals do not seem in the least afraid of the hounds, but trot on quite gently for some time, knowing that, in the end, they will give their enemies the slip.

Mr. Webster relates an amusing story about a cunning old American fox.

It had been chased over and over again, and always escaped near the same place, namely, a wooden fence outside a plantation, which led into a thick forest. Hounds were brought from great distances in order to catch this fox, but never succeeded. The fox always made its bed in the middle of a large field, and did not try to hide, but gave the hounds a good run, and then disappeared at the fence.

Now, in America there are no hedges, the fields being divided by railed fences. Westward, where wood is almost valueless, the "snake" fence is used, but in the more cultivated parts the fence is made by fixing two strong stakes in the ground, so as to cross each other like the letter X, and nailing them together where they cross. Long poles are then laid on the crossed stakes, so that the fence can be made to any height which is most convenient, the poles being seldom nailed, but held in their place by their own weight.

Now, foxes often run along a fence, or the top of a wall, as far as the end. Then they go back for some distance on their own track, and leap off the wall as far as they can, so as to mislead the hounds. Knowing this trick, Mr. Webber took the hounds all round the fence and the plantation, but could find no signs of the fox. At last he determined to hide himself near the place, when the hounds were again set on the fox, and try to discover the trick. After a while the fox came quite slowly until he reached the fence. Then he jumped on the top rail, and ran along it for about two hundred yards, until he came opposite a dead tree, nearly sixteen feet from the fence. He paused for a moment, and, with a tremendous jump, leaped upon a tree, alighting on a large knot on the side of the trunk. Then he ran up the trunk, which was slightly sloping, and entered a hollow at the top, nearly thirty feet from the ground, where he lay hid, no one even suspecting that he could leap from a fence to the tree, much less run up it. This feat was the more wonderful, because ivy does not grow out of doors in America, so that there seemed to be no foot-hold. Indeed, had it not been for the knot, the fox could not have climbed the tree.