The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-10-11


kindly faces and easy temperament did
not warrant.
On board the yacht there had been busy
days of barter. Furs and ivory had been
gathered in heaps in exchange for guns.
knives aud needles. Every seaman, from
cabin boy TO captain, had suddenly got
lrch in the gamble of trade for priced blue
fox skins and nnrwahl tusks.
The Eskimos were equally elated with
their end of the bargain. For n beautiful
fox skin, of less use to the native than
n dog pelt, he bad secured n pocket knife
that would serve him half lifetime
a woman had exchanged her fur pants
worth a hundred dollars. for n red pocket
handkerchief, with which she would dec
a scat, and on each side were placed
stone lamps. IN which blubber was
crate her head and igloo for years to
come.
Another had given her bearskin mits
for needles, and conveyed the idea that
she had the long end of the trade. a fat
youth. with only n smile. displayed with
lglce two bright tin cups. one for himself
and one for his prosDectiyc bride All of
this glitter had been received in exchange
! fo an ordinary ivory horn worth about
ninety dollars.
The Yacht AEsIr AHont.
The midnight tide lifted the yacht on an
even keel from her mnkes,ift drydock on
! the beach, and she was pulled out into the
bay and anchored for few hours. Coma
moi was but one of six villages in which
the tribe had divided its two hundred and
! fifty people for the current season.
To study the people. to further encour-
age the game Of barter and TO enjoy the
rare sport of yachting and hunting in
mans northcrnmost haunts. we prepared
10 visit as many villages as possible.
In the morning the anchor was raised
and the yacht set sail in light wind head
cd for more northern villages. 1t was
gray day. with quiet sea. The speed of
the yacht was uot fast enough TO be excit.
ing. 50 Mr.. Bradley suggested lowering
the launch for a crack nj ducks or n chase
Of walrus. or drive n anything that hap
pcncd 10 cut tho waters.
The harpoon gun was taken, MS II was
hoped fhat whale might come our way.
but the gun proved unsatisfo ctOry and
did not contribute much to our sport. We
were able TO run all around the yacht as
she slowly sailed over Wolstcnholme
Sr"nl
Ducks wcrc secured in abundance Seals
E,rrp given chase, but they were able TO
escape our craft. Nearing Saunders
Island herd of walrus was seen on a
pan of drift ice far ahead of the yacht.
The magnetic was pushed, the carburetOr
opened, aud out we rushed after the
shouting beasts.
Two with splendid tusks were obtained
aud two tons of meat blubber were turned
over to our Eskimo allies.
The days of hunting proved quite
strenuous, and in the evening We were
glad 10 seek the comfort of our coscy
Cabius when roast cider duck had filled
. large gap.
An EsISimo widows story.
Among the Eskimo passengers pacing
the deck was a widow, who, in tears. told
us the story of her life. a story which
offered peep into the comedy and
tragedy of Eskimo existence. She had
arranged den under shelter of seal
skins among the anchor chains We had
offered her u large bed, with straw in it,
aud a place between decks as a better
nest for her brood of youngsters, but she
refused, saying she preferred the open
air on deck
To my question as TO how the world
had used her she buried her face in her
hands and begnr 10 mutter 10 bcr two
boys. the youngesr just IN pants. l knew
her early history, SO could understand he's
stolN NllHoHt hehrlhE hll ner WoTus pe-
tween sobs.
She had come from American shores
aud. as a foreign belle, her hand was
sought early. At thirteen Ikwa intro
luced her to welded life not strewn
with blubber. He was cruel and not
always truthful, a sin for which his
brother, The angikok. or doctor, was with
'ut his consent PUT out of harms way.
Two girls graced their home. One was
now married When the youngest was
)ut of her hood Ikwa took the children
md invited her TO leave. saying that he !
lad taken TO wife Ahtah, plump maid ,
md good seamstress.
Nance had neither advantage, but she ,
,new something of human naiurc, and ,
'39n ,iS found another husband, q good deal
,lder, but better than the first. Their a
lie was hard one, for NOrdingwah was d
lot good hunter. but their home was 6
'eaceable. quiet and happy. Two children I
II. Both were at her side on '
he yacht, boy of eight, the only deaf
ma dumb Eskimo in all tie land, aud a s
hlh' pale weakling of three. S
Tragedy OF the Arctic.
Both had been condemned by the Es. y
limo law of the survival OF the attest, the \
lrst because Of Insufficient senses and q
he second because II was inder three and j
till on its mothers hack when the father
'assed away. They were not to partic. q
pate in the sirife Of life. But an uu- =
sual mother loved them. y
a few days before tho previous winter :,
he odd father. hnSious TO provide warm
tor the prolonged night. had n,
enturcd nloue far up imo the noun. y,
aims His g,m went on accidentally a,
MI he Iever totnrncd, a,
The executor ~ the Jrothcr of Nance
ormer husband was kind TO her for the ;,
png night and kept famine from her \,
oor. In the summer day she had been III
bic to keen herself, bnt who could pro n
ide for hei for the ught to come? Her w
My resource was 10 seek the chilled
cart of her former husband and we