he was yet ftruggling with the remains of life. Nor was his diligence lefs to accumulate all that could be neceffary to make winter comfortable; he dried the roe of fishes and the flesh of feals; he entrapped deer and foxes, and dressed their skins to adorn his bride; he feasted her with eggs from the rocks, and ftrewed her tent with flowers. It happened that a tempeft drove the fish to a diftant part of the coaft, before Anningait had completed his ftore; he therefore entreated Ajut, that she would at last grant him her hand, and accompany him to that part of the country whither he was now fummoned by neceffity. Ajut thought him not yet entitled to fuch condefcenfion, but proposed, as a trial of his conftancy, that he should return at the end of fummer to the cavern where their acquaintance commenced, and there expect the reward of his affiduities. "O vir gin, beautiful as the fun fhining on the water, confider," said Anningait," what thou haft required. "How eafily may my return be precluded by a fud"den froft or unexpected fogs; then must the night "be past without my Ajut. We live not, my fair, "in thofe fabled countries, which lying ftrangers fo "wantonly describe; where the whole year is di"vided into short days and nights; where the fame "habitation ferves for fummer and winter; where "they raise houses in rows above the ground, dwell "together from year to year, with flocks of tame "animals grazing in the fields about them; can "travel at any time from one place to another, "through ways inclofed with trees, or over walls "raised upon the inland waters; and direct their "course 7 "courfe through wide countries by the fight of green << hills or fcattered buildings. Even in fummer, we "have no means of croffing the mountains, whose <<< fnows are never diffolved; nor can remove to any "diftant refidence, but in our boats coafting the "bays. Confider, Ajut; a few fummer-days, and "a few winter-nights, and the life of man is at an "end. Night is the time of eafe and feftivity, of "revels and gaiety; but what will be the flaming lamp, the delicious feal, or the foft oil, without "the fmile of Ajut." The eloquence of Anningait was vain; the maid continued inexorable, and they parted with ardent promifes to meet again before the night of winter. NUMB. 187. TUESDAY, December 31, 1751. Non illum noftri possunt mutare labores, Love alters not for us his hard decrees, Not tho' beneath the Thracian clime we freeze, VIRGIL. DRYDEN ANNINGAIT, however difcomposed by the dilatory coynefs of Ajut, was yet refolved to omit no tokens of amorous refpect; and therefore presented her at his departure with the skins of feven white fawns, of five fwans and eleven feals, with three marble lamps, ten veffels of feal oil, and a large kettle of brass, which he had purchased from a fhip, at the price of half a whale, and two horns of seaunicorns. Ajut was fo much affected by the fondness of her lover, or fo much overpowered by his magnificence, that he followed him to the fea-fide; and, when the faw him enter the boat, wifhed aloud, that he might return with plenty of fkins and oil; that neither the mermaids might fnatch him into the deeps, nor the spirits of the rocks confine him in their ca verns. She stood a while to gaze upon the departing veffel, and then returning to her hut, filent and de jected, jected, laid afide, from that hour, her white deer skin, fuffered her hair to spread unbraided on her fhoulders, and forbore to mix in the dances of the maidens. She endeavoured to divert her thoughts by continual application to feminine employments, gathered mofs for the winter lamps, and dried grafs to line the boots of Anningait. Of the fkins which he had bestowed upon her, fhe made a fishingcoat, a small boat, and tent, all of exquifite manufacture; and while fhe was thus bufied, folaced her labours with a fong, in which the prayed, "that her lover might have hands ftronger than the "paws of the bear, and feet fwifter than the feet of « the rain-deer; that his dart might never err, "and that his boat might never leak; that he "might never ftumble on the ice, nor faint in the "water; that the feal might rush on his harpoon, " and the wounded whale might dafh the waves in " vain." The large boats in which the Greenlanders tranfport their families, are always rowed by women; for a man will not debase himself by work, which requires neither skill nor courage. Anningait was therefore expofed by idleness to the ravages of paffion. He went thrice to the ftern of the boat, with an intent to leap into the water, and fwim back to his mistress; but recollecting the mifery which they must endure in the winter, without oil for the lamp, or skins for the bed, he refolved to employ the weeks of abfence in provifion for a night of plenty and felicity. He then compofed his emotions as he could, and expreffed in wild numbers and uncouth images, his hopes, his forrows, and his fears. fears. "O life," fays he, "frail and uncertain! "where fhall wretched man find thy refemblance "but in ice floating on the ocean? It towers on high, it fparkles from afar, while the ftorms drive " and the waters beat it, the fun melts it above, and "the rocks fhatter it below. What art thou, de"ceitful pleasure! but a fudden blaze streaming "from the north, which plays a moment on the eye, mocks the traveller with the hopes of light, " and then vanishes for ever? What, love, art thou "but a whirlpool, which we approach without knowledge of our danger, drawn on by imper"ceptible degrees, till we have loft all power of "refiftance and efcape? Till I fixed my eyes on the graces of Ajut, while I had not yet called her to "the banquet, I was careless as the fleeping morfe, "I was merry as the fingers in the ftars. Why, Ajut, did I gaze upon thy graces? why, my fair, "did I call thee to the banquet? Yet, be faithful, my love, remember Anningait, and meet my re"turn with the smile of virginity. I will chafe the "deer, I will fubdue the whale, refiftless as the frost "of darkness, and unwearied as the fummer fun. "In a few weeks, I fhall return profperous and "wealthy; then fhall the roefish and the porpoife "feaft thy kindred; the fox and hare fhall cover thy "couch; the tough hide of the feal fhall fhelter thee "from cold; and the fat of the whale illuminate thy " dwelling." Anningait having with these fentiments confoled his grief, and animated his induftry, found that they had now coafted the headland, and faw the whales. spouting at a distance. He therefore placed himVOL. VI. T felf |