OUR LITTLE POLKS. By Dot.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 35

OUR LITTLE POLKS. By Dot.

STORY OF A FUR COUNTRY NORTH OF CANADA.

By' One of Our Little Folks.

Kalumah, giving up all hope of again seeing her friend, returned to New Georgia, and resumed work with the rest of her tribe at the fisheries at Icy Cape, a point about 600 miles from Cape Bathurst. The storm which gave Hobson such uneasiness was as violent at Icy Cape as on Victoria Island, and for the first few days the Esquimaux were confined to their huts. At the end of August, impelled by a strange presentiment, Kalumah ventured down to the beach, braving the wind and rain. Gifted with the keen sight so prevalent among nomadic people, she perceived a huge floating mass being driven along by the wind in a direction parallel with the coast. It appeared to be a couple of miles from the coast, and was apparently neither,, a boat, a whale, nor an iceberg. Kalumah did not stop to reason. Before her excited. imagination rose the images of her friends. She knew they were passing, borne along on an icefield. Kalumah ran to her' hut, secured a torch of tow and resin, and waved it on the summit of Icy Cape. This was the fire Hobson and Long had seen when exploring at Cape Michael, on the night of the 31st August. Fancy the delight and excitement of the young Esquimaux when she saw a fire reply to hers. Victoria Island would have run ashore, but unfortunately the wind veered round to the south-east and swept it away from the shore. Kalumah seeing the island fading away, and fearing it would not be driven ashore, rushed to her kayak, put to sea, and in an hour she could see the island more distinctly. She was but half a mile from the beach when she uttered the cry that Hobson and Long heard. She had no doubt of effecting her purpose, but now she felt herself carried away to the west by a powerful current. She uttered scream after scream, but she was unheard. She was already far away, and when day dawned the coast of Alaska and the island she had endeavoured to reach were but two distant masses on the horizon.

Kalumah could not get back to the coast in the teeth of the terrible wind which was driving the island before it at a rapid pace, assisted by the current from, the coast. There was but one thing left to do. That was to get to the island by keeping in the current which was drifting it away, but the poor girl's strength was not equal to her courage. She was faint from want of food, and so exhausted that she could no longer wield her paddle. For some hours longer she struggled on, and seemed to be approaching the island, but those on it could not see her. She struggled on until her stiffened arms and bleeding hands fell powerless to her sides, and then losing consciousness, she floated in her frail bark at the mercy of the wind and waves. She remembered- no more till her kyak struck against something. It opened beneath her, and she was plunged into cold water, the freshness of which revived her. A few moments later she was flung upon the beach by a large wave, more dead than alive. This had taken place the night before. Kalumah had been 50 hours at sea since she embarked. She did not know where she was thrown. She hoped it was on the island. She struggled to her feet and tried to follow the coast. She tottered on, stopped, and struggled to advance ; then she dragged herself along till she came to where Mrs Barnett and Madge rested that morning. A little further on she fell for the last time. Exhausted by fatigue and hunger, she still managed to creep along, on hands and knees, a few minutes longer. She did not despair, for she had recognised Cape Esquimaux, and knew she was but eight miles from the fort, and she had only to follow the path she had so often trod and she would reach her friends. She had scarcely reached the beach, however, when she fainted, and but for Mrs Bamett she would have died.

After this conversation they rose to go to the fort. It was about 3 o'clock when they set out for Fort Hope, and 5 o'clock when they reached it. Kalumah was gladly welcomed at the fort. A fete was held in her honour. When Lieutenant Hobson saw her coming, the hope that Victoria Island had run aground unnoticed by anyone flashed across his mind, but this was quickly dispelled when Mrs Barnett called him aside and narrated the adventures of their Esquimaux friend.,, / ' . '' (To he continued.)