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 latitude of Frobisher Bay are treated
to displays of the aurora on a scale of magnificence and beauty never
seen in the high latitudes 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 God could conceive such infinite scenes of glory!
Who but God 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. God 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 passed into the vacated space; 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 shipboard in a
full-blown English dress, but when Mr. Hall returned their visit in
their _tupic_ on shore 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.
Mr. Hall made frequent visits to the Esquimo village on shore, mingling
with the people, conforming to their habits, and studying their
character. Their summer, skin-covered huts--tupics--had now given way to
the _igloos_, the snow-house, essentially like those we have before
seen. We will accompany Mr. Hall in a visit made in October. He found on
creeping into a hut a friend whom he knew as a pilot and boatman; his
name was Koojesse. He was sitting in the midst of a group of women
drinking with a gusto hot seal blood. Our white visitor joined them, and
pronounced the dish excellent. On going out he was met by blind George.
"Mitter Hall! Mitter Hall!" shouted the blind man on hearing Mr. Hall's
voice. There was a pensive earnestness in the call which arrested his
attention. "Ugarng come to-day!" continued George. "He come to-day. My
little Kookooyer way go! She here now. Speak-um, Ugarng! My little
pickaninny way go! Speak-um."
The facts were these: Ugarng, who, as we have stated, had married
George's wife, and taken with the mother his little daughter, was at the
village attended by the latter. George, who was very fond of the child,
desired her company for a while. Mr. Hall did of course "speak-um."
Ugarng and the darling Kookooyer were soon seen in happy intimacy with
her father.
Mr. Hall's attention was attracted by an excited crowd, who were
listening to the harangue of a young man. He was evidently master of the
situation, for at one moment his audience clenched their fists and raved
like madmen, and then, under another touch of his power, they were calm
and thoughtful, or melted to tears. He was an _Angekok_, and was going
through a series of _ankootings_, or incantations. His howlings and
gesticulations were not unlike those of the heathen priests of the East,
and of the medicine men of our Indians. On seeing Mr. Hall the Angekok
left his snow-platform, from which he had been speaking, and ran to him
with the blandest smiles and honied words. He put his arm in his and
invited him into his tent, or place of worship, as it might be called;
others ran ahead, and it was well filled with worshipers. Koojesse, who
was passing at the time with water for the ship, on a wave of the
Angekok's hand set his pail down and followed. All faithful Esquimo in
this region obey the Angekok. If he sees one smoking, and signifies that
he wishes the pipe, the smoker deposits it in the Angekok's pocket.
When in the tent the Angekok placed Koojesse on one side, and Mr. Hall
facing him on the other side. Now commenced the service. The Angekok
began a rapid clapping of his hands, lifting them at times above his
head, then passing them round in every direction, and thrusting them
into the faces of the people, muttering the while wild, incoherent
expressions. The clapping of his hands was intermitted by a violent
clapping of the chest on which he sat, first on the top, then on the
sides and end. At times he would cease, and sit statue-like for some
moments, during which the silence of death pervaded the audience. Then
the clapping and gesticulations broke forth with increased violence. Now
and then he paused, and stared into the farthest recess of the tent with
the fiery eyes and the hideous countenance of a demon. At the right
time, to heighten the effect, the wizard, by a quick sign or sharp word,
ordered Koojesse to fix his eyes on this point of the tent, then on
that, intimating in mysterious undertones that in such places _Kudlago's
spirit shook the skin covering_! Koojesse, though one of the most
muscular and intelligent of the natives, obeyed with trembling
promptness, while the profuse sweat stood in drops upon his nose,
(Esquimo perspire freely _only_ on the nose,) and his countenance
beamed with intense excitement. The climax was at hand. The Angekok's
words began to be plain enough for Mr. Hall's ears. Kudlago's spirit was
troubled. Would the white man please give it rest? One of his
double-barreled guns would do it! White man! white man! give Kudlago's
spirit rest! Give the double-barreled gun!
The cunning wizard! But Mr. Hall, who, though brimful of laugh, had been
a sober-looking listener, was not to be caught with this chaff, _except
in his own interest_. He whispers to Koojesse, "Would the Angekok be a
good man to go with me in the spring to King William's Land?"
"Yes," was the reply.
Then Mr. Hall turned to the Angekok and said aloud, "If you go with me
next spring on my explorations you shall have one of my best guns."
Thinking the gift was to be given immediately, his crafty reverence
shouted, thanked Mr. Hall, threw his arms about his neck, and danced
with an air of triumph about the tent, seeming to say as he looked upon
his amazed followers, "I have charmed a kablunah"--white man.
Mr. Hall tried to set him right about the terms of the gift--that it was
to be when he had served him in the spring. But he would understand it
as he would have it. His joy found a fullness of expression when,
pointing to his two wives, he said to Mr. Hall, "One shall be yours;
take your choice." He was disgusted when the white man told him that he
had a wife, and that kabluna wanted but one wife.