Part 19 (1/2)
One day the crew of the ”Henry” captured a whale in the bay, and the Esquimo joined with others in towing the monster to the s.h.i.+p. In one of the boats was an Esquimo woman with a babe; she laid her child in the bow of the boat and pulled an oar with the strongest of the white men.
Before they reached the vessel the wind blew a gale, the sea ran high, and at times the spray shot into the air and came down in plentiful showers into the boat. The mother cast anxious glances at her child, and, as if it was for its life, rowed with giant strength. At last the prize was safely moored to the ”Henry,” and the natives were rewarded with generous strips of its black skin, which they ate voraciously, raw and warm from the animal. They carried portions of it to their tupics on sh.o.r.e for future use. This skin is about three fourths of an inch thick, and, in even Mr. Hall's estimation, is ”good eating” when raw, ”but better soused in vinegar.”
Soon after this, Captain Tyson brought the ”Georgiana” round into Field Bay, and the crews of the two vessels were often together when a whale made its appearance, a circ.u.mstance sometimes the occasion of strife when he is captured. One day Smith, an officer of the ”Henry,” fastened a harpoon in a whale, and was devising means to secure his prey. Captain Tyson, who was near in his boat, killed the monster with his lances, and without a word, left Smith to enjoy the pleasure of taking it to his vessel. The generous act was appreciated on board the ”Henry.”
On the twenty-sixth of December a terrible storm commenced, causing the boats which were cruising for whales to scud home. The three vessels--the ”Henry,” ”Rescue,” and ”Georgiana”--were anch.o.r.ed near each other, and near an island toward which the wind was blowing. It was about noon when the storm began, and as the day declined the wind increased, bringing on its wings a cloud of snow. When the night came on it was intensely dark, and the waves rose higher and higher as, driven by the tempest, they rolled swiftly by and dashed upon the rocky sh.o.r.e.
The vessels labored heavily in the billows and strained at their anchors, now dipping their bows deep in the water, then rising upon the top of a crested wave, and leaping again into the trough of the sea, as if impatient of restraint and eager to rush upon the rocks to their own destruction. The roar of the sea and the howling of the winds through the shrouds were appalling to all on board, while they awaited with breathless interest the integrity of the anchors, on which their lives depended.
As the night wore on the watch on deck, peering through the darkness, saw the dim outlines of the ”Rescue” steadily and slowly moving toward the sh.o.r.e. ”She drags her anchors!” were the fearful words which pa.s.sed in whispers through the ”George Henry.” But all breathed easier to hear the report from the watch soon after that she had come to a pause nearly abreast of the ”Henry.”
About midnight the storm put forth all the fury of its power, and the small anchor of the ”Georgiana” gave way, and the others went plowing along their ocean beds, and, as the vessel neared the island, her destruction and the loss of all on board seemed certain. The endangered craft worried round a point of rocks, pounding against them as she went, and reached smoother and safer waters, where her anchors remained firm.
The ghostly-looking forms of her men were soon after seen on the island, to which they had escaped! In the mean time the men on the ”Henry” were in constant fear that their vessel would be dashed upon rocks.
Just as the morning was breaking the ”Rescue” broke away and went broadside upon the island. With a crash the breakers hurled her against the rocks, and seemed to bury her in their white foam. She was at once a hopeless wreck, but her crew still clung bravely to her. When the morning light had fully come, at the first lull in the storm, while yet the waves rolled with unabated fury, a whale-boat was lowered into the sea from the stern of the ”Henry” with a strong line attached, and mate Rogers and a seaman stepped into it. Cautiously and skillfully it was guided to the stern of the ”Rescue.” Into it her men were taken, and drawn safely to the ”Henry.” All were saved! A shout of joy mingled with the tumult of the elements!
The ”Henry” safely outrode the storm. The ”Georgiana” was not seriously injured, and her men returned to her and sailed away for other winter-quarters. The ”Rescue” was a complete wreck, and, what was a stunning blow to the enterprise of Mr. Hall, his expedition boat, in which, with an Esquimo crew, he had hoped to reach the far-away land of his lone sojourn and search for the Franklin men, was totally wrecked too! What now should he do? That was to him the question of questions.
One thing he resolved _not_ to do--he would not abandon his mission.
Captain Buddington thought at first that he might spare him one of the s.h.i.+p's boats in which to reach King William's Land; but, on careful inquiry, he found that the only one he could part with was rotten and untrustworthy. So waiting and watching became his present duty.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI.
THE AURORA.
MR. HALL had an eye for the beautiful in nature. The aurora deeply impressed him, inspiring feelings of awe and reverence. It will be noticed that explorers in the low lat.i.tude of Frobisher Bay are treated to displays of the aurora on a scale of magnificence and beauty never seen in the high lat.i.tudes of the winter-quarters of Dr. Kane and Hayes.
Night after night through the months of October, November, and December Mr. Hall's sensitive nature was in raptures at the wonderful sights. The heavens were aglow. The forms of brightness, and colors of every hue, changed with the rapidity of fleecy clouds driven before the wind.
Before the mind had comprehended the grandeur of one scene, it had changed into another of seeming greater beauty of form, color, and brightness. Thousands of such changes occurred while he gazed. No wonder he exclaims: ”Who but G.o.d could conceive such infinite scenes of glory!
Who but G.o.d execute them, painting the heavens in such gorgeous display!”
Again he exclaims: ”It seemeth to me as if the very doors of heaven have opened to-night, so _mighty_ and _beauteous_ and _marvelous_ were the waves of golden light which swept across the azure deep, breaking forth anon into floods of wondrous glory. G.o.d made his wonderful works to be remembered.”
Mr. Hall had been on deck several times, witnessing the enrapturing display, and had returned into the cabin to go to bed, when the captain shouted down the companion-way: ”Come above, Hall, at once! _The world is on fire!_” Mr. Hall hastened on deck. He says: ”There was no sun, no moon, yet the heavens were flooded with light. Even ordinary print could be read on deck. Yes, flooded with _rivers_ of light!--and _such_ light!
light all but inconceivable! The golden hues predominated; but in rapid succession prismatic colors leaped forth.
”We looked, we saw, and we trembled; for even as we gazed the whole belt of aurora began to be alive with flashes. Then each pile or bank of light became myriads; some now dropping down the great pathway or belt, others springing up, others leaping with lightning flash from one side, while more as quickly pa.s.sed into the vacated s.p.a.ce; some, twisting themselves into folds, entwining with others like enormous serpents, and all these movements as quick as the eye could follow. It seemed as though there was a struggle with these heavenly lights to reach and occupy the dome above our heads. Then the whole arch above became crowded. Down, down it came! nearer and nearer it approached us! Sheets of golden flames, coruscating while leaping from the auroral belt, seemed as if met in their course by some mighty agency that turned them into the colors of the rainbow.
”While the auroral fires seemed to be descending upon us, one of our number exclaimed, 'Hark! hark!' Such a display, as if a warfare were going on among the beauteous lights, seemed impossible without noise.
But all was silent.”
After the watchers, amazed at what they saw, retired to the cabin, they very naturally commenced a lively conversation on what they had witnessed. Captain Buddington declared that, though he had spent most of his time for eleven years in the northern regions, he had never witnessed so grand and beautiful a scene. And he added in an earnest tone: ”To tell you the truth, friend Hall, I do not care to see the like again!”
In November Mr. Hall became acquainted with two remarkable Esquimo whom we shall often meet. Their names were Ebierbing and his wife Tookoolito, but were known among the white people as Joe and Hannah. They had been taken to England in 1853, and lionized there for two years. They had visited the great and good of that land at their homes, and had aptly learned many of the refinements of civilization. Queen Victoria had honored them with an audience, and they had dined with Prince Albert.
Joe declared that the queen was ”pretty--yes, quite pretty;” and the prince was ”good--very good.” They made their visit on s.h.i.+pboard in a full-blown English dress, but when Mr. Hall returned their visit in their _tupic_ on sh.o.r.e they were in the Esquimo costume. Yet Tookoolito busied herself with her _knitting_ during his call. She said, as they conversed: ”I feel very sorry to say that many of the whaling people are bad, making the Innuits bad too; they swear very much, and make our people swear. I wish they would not do so. Americans swear a great deal--more and worse than the English. I wish no one would swear. It is a very bad practice I believe.”
Tookoolito's spirit and example had done much to improve her people, especially the women; these, many of them, had adopted her habit of dressing her hair, and of cleanliness of person and abode. In her and her husband, whom we shall meet often, we shall see the Esquimo as modified by a partial Christian civilization.