Chapter I: Front Matter

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LEFT ON LABRADOR

Or The Cruise of the Schooner-Yacht "Curlew" as Recorded by "Wash"

by

C.A. STEPHENS

Author of "Lynx-Hunting," "Fox-Hunting," "Camping Out," "Off to the Geysers," "On the Amazons," Etc.

Illustrated

New York Hurst & Company Publishers

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Sequel to the "Graphite Lode."--The Fifteen Thousand
Dollars, and how it was invested.--About the Yacht.--
The Schooner "Curlew."--Capt. Mazard.--Guard.--The
Gloucester Boys.--"Palmleaf, Sar."--Getting Ready
for the Voyage.--Ship-Stores.--The Howitzer.--The
Big Rifle.--A Good Round Bill at the Outset 9

CHAPTER II.

Up Anchor, and away.--What the Old Folks thought of
it.--The Narrator's Preface.--"Squeamish."--A
North-easter.--Foggy.--The Schooner "Catfish."--
Catching Cod-Fish on the Grand Bank.--The First
Ice.--The Polar Current.--The Lengthening Day.--Cape
Farewell.--We bear away for Cape Resolution.--Hudson's
Straits.--Its Ice and Tides 28

CHAPTER III.

Cape Resolution.--The Entrance into Hudson's Straits.--
The Sun in the North-east.--The Resolution Cliffs--
Sweating among Icebergs.--A Shower and a Fog--An
Anxious Night.--A Strange Rumbling.--Singular
Noises and Explosions--Running into an Iceberg.--In
Tow.--A Big Hailstone drops on Deck.--Boarding an
Iceberg.--Solution of the Explosions.--A Lucky Escape 45

CHAPTER IV.

The Fog lifts.--A Whale in Sight.--Craggy Black
Mountains capped with Snow.--A Novel Carriage for the
Big Rifle.--Mounting the Howitzer.--A Doubtful
Shot.--The Lower Savage Isles.--A Deep Inlet.--
"Mazard's Bay."--A Desolate Island.--An Ice-Jam.--A
Strange Blood-red Light.--Solution of the Mystery.--
Going Ashore.--Barren Ledges.--Beds of Moss.--A Bald
Peak.--An Alarm.--The Schooner in Jeopardy.--The
Crash and Thunder of the Ice.--Tremendous Tides 69

CHAPTER V.

A Dead Narwhal.--Snowy Owls.--Two Bears in Sight.--
Firing on them with the Howitzer.--A Bear-Hunt among
the Ice.--An Ice "Jungle."--An Exciting Chase.--The
Bear turns.--Palmleaf makes "a Sure Shot."--"Run,
you Black Son!" 93

CHAPTER VI.

The Middle Savage Isles.--Glimpse of an Esquimau
Canoe.--Firing at a Bear with the Cannon-Rifle.--A
Strange Sound.--The Esquimaux.--Their Kayaks.--They
come on board.--An Unintelligible Tongue.--"Chymo." 106

CHAPTER VII.

The Husky Belles.--_We-we_ and _Caubvick_.--"_Abb_,"
she said.--All Promenade.--Candy at a Discount.--
"_Pillitay, pillitay!_"--Old Trull and the Husky
Matron.--Gorgeous Gifts.--Adieu to the Arctic Beauties 125

CHAPTER VIII.

The Husky Chief.--Palmleaf Indignant.--A Gun.--Sudden
Apparition of the Company's Ship.--We hold a Hasty
Council.--In the Jaws of the British Lion.--An Armed
Boat.--Repel Boarders!--Red-Face waxes wrathful.--
Fired on, but no Bones Broken 140

CHAPTER IX.

A Barren Shore, and a Strange Animal, which is captured
by blowing up its Den.--Palmleaf falls in with the
Esquimaux, and is chased by them.--"_Twau-ve!_"--"A
Close Shave."--An Attack threatened.--The Savages
dispersed with the Howitzer 162

CHAPTER X.

The Dip of the Needle.--The North Magnetic Pole.--A
_Kayak_ Bottom up, with its Owner Head down.--
Ice-Patches.--Anchoring to an Ice-Floe.--A Bear-hunt
in the Fog.--Bruin charges his Enemies.--Soundings.--
The Depth of the Straits 186

CHAPTER XI.

"Isle Aktok."--A Sea-Horse and a Sea-Horse Hunt.--In
High Spirits.--Sudden Interruption of the Hunt.--A
Heavy Gun.--The Race to the Ledge-Tops.--Too Late.--A
Disheartening Spectacle.--Surprised by the Company's
Ship.--The Schooner in Peril.--Capt. Mazard bravely
waits.--The Flight of "The Curlew" amid a Shower of
Balls.--The Chase.--Left on the Islet.--A Gloomy
Prospect.--"What shall we have for Grub to _ate_?"--
Wild-Geese.--Egging.--"Boom!"--A Sea-Horse Fire 200

CHAPTER XII.

The "Spider."--Fried Eggs.--The "Plates."--"Awful
Fresh!"--No Salt.--Plans for getting Salt from
Sea-Water.--Ice-Water.--Fried Goose.--Plans to
escape.--A Gloomy Night.--Fight with a Walrus.--
Another "_Wood-Pile._"--Wade Sick.--A Peevish
Patient and a Fractious Doctor.--The Manufacture of
Salt 226

CHAPTER XIII.

More Salt.--Some Big Hailstones.--A Bright Aurora.--The
Lookout.--An _Oomiak_ heaves in Sight.--The Huskies
land on a Neighboring Island.--Shall we join them?--A
Bold, Singular, not to say Infamous, Proposition from
Kit.--Some Sharp Talk.--Kit's Project carried by Vote 250

CHAPTER XIV.

We set up a Military Despotism on "Isle Aktok."--"No
Better than Filibusters!"--The Seizure of the
Oomiak.--The Seal Tax--A Case of Discipline.--
_Wutchee_ and _Wunchee_.--The Inside of a Husky
Hut.--"Eigh, Eigh!"--An Esquimau Ball.--A Funeral.--
Wutchee and Wunchee's Cookery.--The Esquimau Whip 267

CHAPTER XV.

Winter at Hand.--We hold a Serious Council.--"Cold! oh,
how Cold!"--A Midnight Gun.--The Return of "The
Curlew."--"A J'yful 'Casion."--A Grand Distribution
of Presents.--Good-by to the Husky Girls.--A Singular
Savage Song.--We All get Sentimental.--Adieu to "Isle
Aktok."--Homeward Bound.--We engage "The Curlew" and
her Captain for Another Year 291