Most Of The Party Had Sore Eyes, All Of Them
Appeared Of A Plethoric Habit Of Body; Several Were Observed Bleeding At
The Nose During Their Stay Near The Ship.
The men's dresses consisted of
a jacket of seal-skin, the trousers of bear-skin, and several had caps of
the white fox-skin.
The female dresses were made of the same materials
but differently shaped, having a hood in which the infants were carried.
We thought their manner very lively and agreeable. They were fond of
mimicking our speech and gestures; but nothing afforded them greater
amusement than when we attempted to retaliate by pronouncing any of their
words.
The canoes were of seal-skin and similar in every respect to those used
by the Esquimaux in Greenland; they were generally new and very complete
in their appointments. Those appropriated to the women are of ruder
construction and only calculated for fine weather; they are however
useful vessels, being capable of containing twenty persons with their
luggage. An elderly man officiates as steersman and the women paddle, but
they have also a mast which carries a sail made of dressed whale-gut.
When the women had disposed of all their articles of trade they resorted
to entreaty; and the putting in practice many enticing gestures was
managed with so much address as to procure them presents of a variety of
beads, needles, and other articles in great demand among females.
It is probable these Esquimaux go from this shore to some part of
Labrador to pass the winter, as parties of them have been frequently seen
by the homeward-bound Hudson's Bay ships in the act of crossing the
Strait.
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