re. The _oomiak_ was then turned bottom up, and the mast which had
supported their sails thrust under it transversely about ten feet back
of the bows. This mast was a stick of yellow pine, from Labrador
probably, about fifteen feet long. It projected four or five feet on
each side,--far enough for them to take hold to carry the _oomiak_ on
it. Wade ran out to our boat and brought one of the oars, which was
thrust under, near the stern, in the same way. Kit then stationed six
of the Huskies at the mast-pole forward, three on each side: the other
he placed at the stern end of the scow. Weymouth took hold of one end
of the paddle, and Donovan the other. Kit then made signs to the
Huskies to lift at their pole. They raised it; and the sailors lifting
the stern at the same time, and walking on, we had it fairly started.
It was pretty heavy, however. The Esquimaux soon began to pant; seeing
which, we had them set it down and rest every thirty or forty rods.

We were near an hour getting back to their huts. They had worked well.
Their part of the load must have been somewhat over a hundred pounds
per man, we thought.

"Better than niggers; a great deal better," Wade pronounced them. "I'm
not sure that it wouldn't be a good plan to import them into the
United States to work on our railroads."

"For slaves, I suppose," said Raed.

"No; not for slaves. Now that slavery is fairly abolished, I am not
much in favor of its re-establishment. Take them down to work for fair
wages. Should as lief have them as to have the Chinese, and risk it."

"That makes me think," Kit remarked, "that I have read that some
ethnologists think the Esquimaux are a branch of the Chinese nation."

"You would send vessels like the cooly ships up here to kidnap them, I
suppose," Raed observed. "You could only carry them away by main
force. They are too much attached to their bleak home to leave it
voluntarily."

"Well, what of that," said Wade. "Don't be so dreadfully afraid to
have a little force used! If it would permanently better their
condition, why not bring the whole nation of them farther south by
force. A horde of ignorant savages like these don't always know what's
best for them, by a long sight. If all these polar tribes could be
brought down into a milder climate, it would be vastly better for
them. So of the ignorant, brutish negroes of Africa: if they could be
got out of their barbarous haunts, and brought up into the latitude of
New Yo