Page:The open Polar Sea- a narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States" (IA openpolarseanarr1867haye).pdf/430

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among my companions as "The Sentimental Widow." Hans had gone, with his family, up to Chester Valley, where he was catching auks by hundreds, and living in the seal-skin tent that he brought from Cape York. Angeit still prowled round the galley and pantry, and continued, alternately, to annoy and amuse the cook and still stoutly to resist the steward's efforts at conversion. Kalutunah, my jolly old chief, held on at Etah, and looked to my abundant commissariat and fruitful bounty as the source of all human bliss. He had grown so rich that he did not know where to put all his wealth; and when I went over to Etah to look after him, I found him waxing fat on laziness, and stupid with over-feeding. I discovered him lounging behind a rock, basking in the warm sunshine, like the monk in the "Monastery," sitting before the fire, "thinking of nothing." He was much rejoiced at seeing me again, asked me many questions about my journey, and where I had been; said that he had never been so happy in all his life before; and he stole the thoughts, if not the Spanish, of honest Sancho, in his emphatic declaration, "You have filled my belly, and therefore have won my heart." I was sorry to have but one dog; to restore to him of the eight with which he had supplied me; but he declared himself satisfied. He appeared, at first, strongly to fear that, in returning his dog, I was withdrawing my support, and was much gratified when I told him to come over and get as much food as he could carry away.

Kalutunah's first question was, whether I had found any Esquimaux. Before starting, I had frequently spoken to him concerning the extension of his people to the north, and he recited to me a well-established tradition of the tribe, that the Esquimaux once ex