n
christen,--that is, give them a name.'

"'That I understand; but what's the name?'

"'The Children of the Frozen Sea.'

"'Very good,' I said, 'capital! Children of the frozen sea! Sounds good,
at any rate; and all the world is agreed that whatever sounds good must
be good.'"

CHAPTER XIX.

The Peculiar People proving to be Savages, the Castaways
seize the First Opportunity to leave them, not relishing
their Company.

"I have not latterly said much about the Dean; but you may be very sure
that such a fine fellow could not fail to be greatly delighted with the
change that had come about, as it not only led us away from our desolate
life on the desert island, but gave us a promise at least of the rescue
which we had so earnestly prayed for. 'We ought to be very thankful,'
said the Dean to me one day, 'very thankful indeed for this
deliverance.' But as I did not much relish the habits and customs of the
savages, I did not find myself of the same thankful disposition; so I
replied to the Dean, that the change looked much like that of the fish
who fell out of the frying-pan into the fire. 'You should not say so,'
replied the Dean. 'I see the hand of God in it; and he who has
mercifully preserved us through so many trials and dangers will not
desert us now.'

"The Dean said no more at that time, but he became very thoughtful,
while, as for myself, I felt quite ashamed that I had spoken so
slightingly of the savages, and had shown so much impatience with their
rather disagreeable company; for, to tell the truth, their ways were
somewhat offensive, as they never washed their faces, and were
altogether rather a filthy set.

"The Dean, however, did not stop with preaching about them, but, on the
contrary, did everything he could for them. One of the hunters had gone
to catch seals, and, the ice breaking up, he was drifted out to sea,
where he took refuge on an iceberg, upon which he managed to drag his
dogs and sledge. Here he lived through terrible storms and cold for a
whole moon (that being the way they reckon time), and he only escaped
finally by the iceberg drifting in near the land, when the sea froze
around it. After great trouble he got ashore, with both of his feet
dreadfully frozen, which is easily accounted for when you know that the
poor fellow had no shelter at all while on the iceberg, and had nothing
to eat but his dogs, all of which died of starvation. This savage had no
wife, and the Dean too