Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 26, 2025
Leaving the dangerous vicinity of the bergs, they afterwards kept more in-shore. "What can yonder mound be?" said Fred, pointing to an object that was faintly seen at a short distance off upon the bleak shore. "An Esquimau hut, maybe," replied Grim. "What think'ee, Meetuck?" Meetuck shook his head and looked grave, but made no reply. "Why don't you answer?" said Bolton.
"I think I see something, sir," cried West, shading his eyes with his hand, and gazing earnestly in the direction indicated by Meetuck. "So do I, be the mortial!" said O'Riley in a hoarse whisper. "I see the mountains and the sky, I do, as plain as the nose on me face!" "Hush! stop your nonsense, man," said Fred. "I see a deer, I'm certain of it."
For a week past the only fresh provisions they had procured were a white fox and a rabbit, notwithstanding the exertions of Meetuck, Fred, and the doctor, who with three separate parties had scoured the country for miles round the ship.
Meetuck, therefore, allowed the seal to glide quietly into the sea, and advanced towards this new object of attack. At length he took a steady aim through the hole in the canvas screen, and fired. Instantly the seal dived, and at the same time the water round the walrus was lashed into foam, and tinged with red.
But Meetuck was as good-humoured an Esquimau as ever speared a walrus or lanced a Polar bear. He joined in the laugh, and cut a caper or two to show that he entered into the spirit of the joke.
Leaving the dangerous vicinity of the bergs, they afterwards kept more inshore. "What can yonder mound be?" said Fred, pointing to an object that was faintly seen at a short distance off upon the bleak shore. "An Esquimaux hut, maybe," replied Grim. "What think'ee, Meetuck?" Meetuck shook his head and looked grave, but made no reply.
He steeled his heart, however, by reflecting that fresh provisions were much wanted on board the Dolphin; still, neither he nor his shipmates could bring themselves to shoot the gallant little animal, and it is possible that they might have made up their minds to allow it to escape after all, had not Meetuck quietly ended their difficulty by putting a ball through its heart.
Arrah! have a care, Meetuck, ye baste, or ye'll have us kilt." This last exclamation was caused by the reckless driver dashing over a piece of rough ice that nearly capsized the sledge. Meetuck did not answer, but he looked over his shoulder with a quiet smile on his oily countenance. "Ah, then, ye may laugh!" said O'Riley, with a menacing look, "but av ye break a bone o' me body I'll "
There were, indeed, myriads of wild-fowl flying about the ship, on which the men feasted and grew fat every day; and the muskets of Meetuck and those who accompanied him seldom failed to supply the ship with an abundance of the flesh of seals, walruses, and Polar bears, portions of all of which creatures were considered very good indeed by the men, and particularly by the dogs, which grew so fat that they began to acquire a very disreputable waddle in their gait as they walked the deck for exercise, which they seldom did, by the way, being passionately fond of sleep!
We must now return to Fred Ellice and his companions, Meetuck the Esquimaux, O'Riley, and Joseph West, whom we left while they were on the point of starting on a hunting expedition. They took the direction of the ice hummocks out to the sea, and, seated comfortably on a large sledge, were dragged by the team of dogs over the ice at the rate of ten miles an hour.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking