g towards La Roche, regarded the baby in question.
It was a remarkably fine child, seemingly about ten months old, with a
round, rosy, oily face, coal-black hair, and large, round, coal-black
eyes, with which it returned the stare of the two men with interest.
But that which amused the visitors most was a lump of fat or blubber,
with a skewer thrust through it, which its mother had given to the child
to suck, and which it was endeavouring to thrust down its throat with
both hands.

"Come here, Oolibuck; pourquoi is de stick?"

"Ho, ho, ho!" laughed Oolibuck. "Dat is for keep de chile quiet; and de
stick is for no let him choke; him no can swallow de stick."

"Musha! but it would stick av he did swallow it," said Bryan, turning
away with a laugh.

In the course of the day Stanley and Frank conducted the natives to the
fort, and having given them all an excellent dinner and a few gifts of
needles, scissors, and knives, led them to the store, where the goods
for trade were ranged temptingly on shelves round the walls. A counter
encompassed a space around the entrance-door, within which the natives
stood and gazed on wealth which, to their unsophisticated minds, seemed
a dream of enchantment.

Having given them time to imbibe a conception of the room and its
treasures, Stanley addressed them through the interpreter; but as
reference to this worthy individual is somewhat hampering, we will
discard him forthwith--retaining his style and language, however, for
the benefit of his fellow-countrymen.

"Now, you see what useful things I have got here for you; but I cannot
give them to you for nothing. They cost us much, and give us much
trouble to bring them here. But I will give them for skins and furs and
oil, and the tusks of the walrus; and when you go to your friends on the
sea-coast, you can tell them to bring skins with them when they come."

"Ye vill do vat you vish. Ye most happy you come. Ye vill hunt very
mush, and make your house empty of all dese t'ings if ye can."

"That's well. And now I am in need of boots for my men, and you have a
good many, I see; so, if you can spare some of these, we will begin to
trade at once."

On hearing this, the natives dispatched several of their number down to
the camp, who soon returned laden with boots. These boots are most
useful articles. They are neatly made of sealskin, the feet or soles
being of walrus hide, and perfectly waterproof. They are invaluable to
t