pe; I therefore suddenly brought up, tacked about,
and faced her with my arms expanded, to make me look of more
considerable size. She was coming on full tilt. I did not think she
was so near, and the consequence was, as she was stooping down, I found
my arms round her neck, with my feet off the ground, while I clung to
her in a very affectionate embrace. She uttered some words which I
could not understand, and, covering my face with kisses, ran back with
me towards her companions, just as a young lady does a little child she
has run after, laughing with pleasure.

"Here I was fairly caught, but I argued from the behaviour of the young
lady that I was not likely to be very severely treated by the rest.
When she got back to her family with me in her arms, she introduced me
in form to them, and made me sit down by her side, while the rest
examined me minutely from head to foot. After they had gratified their
curiosity, and satisfied themselves that I was a human being, she,
observing my eyes turned towards the roasted ox, cut off a slice and
handed it to me. The animal was of prodigious size, and would beat a
London prize ox hollow. The meat was of delicious flavour, though
rather too fat for my taste, but in cold climates such is generally
preferred. I found, however, that that is not the usual food of these
people, but is considered a great delicacy, as they live for most part
of the year on whales and seals, which they catch with much ingenuity
with a rod and line. A whale, however, requires, they told me, great
skill and patience to kill, as it is apt to break the tackle. The
savages, with my slight assistance, having picked the bones of the ox
almost clean, washed down this repast with huge flagons full of a liquor
which smacked of a taste remarkably like the best schiedam. It was,
however, far more potent, as I found to my cost, for the effect was such
that I fell fast asleep. In fact, I was dead drunk; I don't say that I
didn't take a good swig of it, but still it must be strong stuff to
capsize me. How long I slept, or what happened during that time, I'm
sure I don't know: when I awoke the scene was completely changed. I
found myself at the mouth of a cavern, lying on the ground and wrapped
up in bears' skins, with wild rugged rocks rising on every side around
me. I tried to rise, but to my dismay I discovered that my limbs were
bound, and as I gazed on every side I saw not the sign of an outlet by
w