When the first burst of joy had at length subsided, the women
crept, one by one, into the apartment where the first portion of
the seahorses had been conveyed, which is always that of one of
the men immediately concerned in the killing of them. Here they
obtained blubber enough to set all their lamps alight, besides a
few scraps of meat for their children and themselves. From this
time, which was nine o'clock, till past midnight, fresh cargoes
were continually arriving; the principal part being brought in by
the dogs, and the rest by the men, who, tying the thong which held
it round their waist, dragged in each his separate portion. Before
the whole was brought in, however, some of them went out three
times to the scene of action, though the distance was a mile and a
half.
Every lamp now swimming with oil, the huts exhibited a blaze of
light, and never was there a scene of more joyous festivity than
while the operation of cutting up the walruses continued. I took
the opportunity, which their present good-humour afforded, to
obtain a perfect head and tusks of one of these animals, which we
had not been able to do before; and, indeed, so much were their
hearts opened by the scene of abundance before them, that I
believe they would have given us anything we asked for.
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