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Updated: June 4, 2025
A few men came running along the beach. I met them, and hurriedly asked them to take us off when they would have hoop-iron and beads. "Yes." "Quick! do not let them think! Into the nearest canoe." Away in the distance those in the village were shouting and gesticulating. "Come back! Come back, at once." "Oh no, my friends; pull, you must pull!" and while they are discussing we are paddling.
A long, dangerous piece, too. What did it have around it? Chains, by thunder! And hoop-iron! A log, split and hollowed out, and bound together with stuff from Reichart's blacksmith shop! Haw-haw! Watch, everybody! Could the blamed thing possibly stand fire? Hope not. They were ramming into it powder by the horn full. A ball from their pile followed. They rammed that also, and wadded it.
A large crowd gathered round, all under arms, very noisy, and certainly not gentle. A slight scuffle took place, but was soon over. The mate missed some of his hoop-iron, caught one young man with a piece, and took it from him. The crowd increased. I told the chief I should prefer his people unarmed, and not so noisy.
He explained to them the utter hopelessness of their attempting to deceive or impose upon the white men in any way whatever, and assured them that if they tried that sort of thing again he would punish them severely; but that if they behaved well, and brought plenty of walrus flesh to the ship, he would give them hoop-iron, beads, looking-glasses, etcetera.
"Hurrah!" he exclaimed at last, "here is a bit of old hoop-iron that will do first-rate. It is not stiff enough to cut with, but I think we can saw with it, if one takes hold of each end." Without much difficulty the melon was cut into three parts, and devoured to the rind. Breakfast over they had time to consider their situation again.
We know not where they find the stuff, and they won't tell. I shall go and find out for myself, and take back plenty of it to our people." The "hard stuff" referred to was hoop-iron, which, as well as nails and a few hatchets, the Eskimos of the eastern parts of the Arctic shores obtained from whale-ships and passed on to their friends in the more remote regions of the farther north.
The prize proved to be the full-rigged ship Portobello Captain Hardy, master bound from London to Kingston in Jamaica, with a cargo of cotton goods and hoop-iron.
"A hind leg, if you please," answered Jack; "and, pray, be so good as to include the tail." "With all my heart," said Peterkin, exchanging the axe for his hoop-iron knife, with which he cut off the desired portion.
Six of us youngsters were treated in this way; then the lather was scraped off with a piece of old hoop-iron, and, after being thus shaved, buckets of cold water were thrown over us.
But what's that you're doing?" he added, looking at Peterkin, who had drawn the end of a long pole into the tent, and was endeavouring to fit a small piece of the hoop-iron to the end of it. "I'm going to enlist into the Lancers," answered Peterkin.
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