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"Look there, away to the nor'-west o' that bunch o' trees," said the captain, pointing to a distant spot, "there's a depression in the ground there; and from the lie o' the land all round I should say we shall find a stream o' some sort near it."
"Why, Nor'-West boats, of course, coming up Red River from Fort William to go up the Assiniboine for the winter's supplies. They're coming in a few days. My father told me so." "Is Mr. Sutherland an H. B. C. or Nor'-Wester?" I asked in the slang of the company talk. "I don't know," she answered. "I don't think he knows himself.
Accordingly they selected a spot surrounded by dense bushes, canopied by the branches of a wide-spreading fir-tree, and backed by a precipitous cliff, which afforded complete shelter from a sharp nor'-west gale that was blowing at the time.
Unfortunately for his purpose, there happened to be blowing at the time a gentle nor'-west breeze, which, in its direct course towards them, had to pass over the igloe that belonged to Mangivik, and the humble-minded Attim, keen of scent, recognised something there that caused him suddenly to cock his ears and tail, open his eyes, and give vent to a sharp interrogative yelp!
"Ice ahead, sir!" said the first mate, looking down the skylight. "Is there much?" asked the captain, rising and taking down a small telescope, from the hook on which it usually hung. "Not much, sir only a stream; but there is an ice blink right ahead, all along the horizon." "How's her head, Mr Bolton?" "Nor'-west and by north, sir."
Then Dick, resting the oar in the sculling hole, called on the captain for orders. "Better strike out due east and make for Nor'-West Cape. That's the nearest land and we're liable to be struck by a squall 'most any minute. Then there's a cocoanut grove at the Cape and you'll be thirsty by the time you get there." "Gee!" said Dick, "I'm thirsty now. Wish you hadn't spoken of it."
Now, do you see the little island away there to the nor'-west?" "Yes." "Well, that is Varlaten. I mentioned it when at breakfast. Sweep your glass round to the nor'ard, the little island there is Polish Hat, and you see Lang Island in the nor'-east. These, with Krakatoa, are merely the higher parts still remaining above water of the ring or lip of the ancient crater.
In spite of vague rumours of the existence of gold, and the report of Austin in 1854, who passed close to what is now the town of Cue and noticed auriferous indications, it was not until 1868 that an authenticated find of gold was made at Mallina, in the Nor'-West.
When the sea took her she seemed to hang right over us, and the sight of that great dark hull, looking as if, when it fell, it must come right atop of us, made us want to sheer off, I can tell you. I sung out, "Have you seen the ship?" And one of the men bawled back, "Yes." "How does she bear?" "Nor'-west by north." "Have you seen anything go to her?" The answer I caught was, "A boat."
The fact seems to be, that the nor'-west winds come heated from the tropics, and charged with moisture from the ocean, and this is precipitated by the ice-fields of the mountains in deluges of rain, chiefly on the western side, but occasionally extending some distance to the east.
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