"than to catch the droppings of the starry "lamps." THIS ode being univerfally applauded, it was expected that Ajut would foon yield to fuch fervour and accomplishments; but Ajut, with the natural haughtiness of beauty, expected the ufual forms of courtship; and before the would confess herself conquered, the fun returned, the ice broke, and the season of labour called all to their employments. ANNINGAIT and Ajut for a time always went out in the fame boat, and divided whatever was caught. Anningait, in the fight of his mistress, loft no opportunity of fignalizing his courage; he attacked the fea-horfes on the ice; purfued the feals into the water; and leaped upon the back of the whale, while 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 fifhes, and the flesh of feals; he entrapped deer and foxes, and dreffed 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 coast before Anningait had compleated his ftore; he therefore entreated Ajut, that she would at laft 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 virgin, "beautiful as the fun fhining on the water, "confider," said Anningait, “what thou haft "required. How eafily may my return be ❝ precluded by a sudden froft or unexpected "fogs; then muft the night be past without "my Ajut. We live not, my fair, in those "fabled countries, which lying ftrangers fo "wantonly defcribe; where the whole year is divided into short days and nights; where. "the fame habitation serves for fummer and "winter; where they raife houses in rows "above the ground; dwell together from ' year 66 year to year, with flocks of tame animals "grazing in the fields about them; can tra"vel at any time from one place to another "through ways enclosed with trees, or over "walls raised upon the inland waters; and direct their courfe through wide countries. "by the fight of green hills or scattered build❝ings. Even in fummer we have no means "of croffing the mountains, whofe fnows are "never diffolved; nor can remove to any ❝distant refidence, but in our boats coasting "the bays. Confider, Ajut; a few summer ❝days, and a few winter nights, and the life "of man is at an end. Night is the time of "ease, and festivity, 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 promises to meet again before the night of winter. NUMB NUMB. 187. TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 1751. Non illum noftri possunt mutare Labores, VIRG. ANNINGAIT, however difcompofed by the dilatory coyness of Ajut, was yet resolved to omit no tokens of amorous refpect, and therefore, prefented her at hist departure with the skins of seven 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 fea unicorns. AJUT was fo much affected by the fondness of her lover, or fo much overpowered by his magnificence, that she followed him to the feafide, and, when she saw him enter the boat, wished aloud, that he might return with plenty of skins and oil; that neither the mermaids might fnatch him into the deeps, nor nor the fpirits of the rocks confine him in their caverns. SHE ftood a while to gaze upon the de parting veffel, and then returning to her hut filent and dejected, laid aside, from that hour, her white deer skin, suffered 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 skins which he had bestowed upon her she made a fishing coat, a fmall boat, and tent, all of exquifite manufacture, and while she 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 raindeer; 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 seal might rush 66 on his harpoon, and the wounded whale "might dafh the waves in vain." THE |
