habitations of the Esquimaux. I have thus been enabled to describe them fully, from my own observations. And there is another point upon which I am able to speak positively, although the circumstance did not fall under my own inspection: I allude to the manner of disposing of their dead.

His Majesty's ship Brazen, Captain Stirling, in the year 1813, convoyed the Hudson's-Bay ships into the Bay. Captain Stirling and some of his officers landed in the Straits, but could not find any habitations of the natives: however, in wandering about the hills, they discovered an object of no less curiosity; namely, the dead body of an Esquimaux : it was closely wrapt in skins, and laid in a sort of gully between two rocks, as if intended to be defended from the cold winds of the ocean by the side of the corpse lay the bow and arrows, spears, and harpoon of the deceased; together with a tin pot,

containing a few beads and three or four English halfpence: the last articles had evidently been procured by the deceased in traffic with the Company's ships.

The reason of the body having been laid on the surface of the earth, is in consequence of the impossibility of penetrating the flinty rock, of which the whole coast is composed; and the custom of depositing his arms by the side of the corpse of a deceased Indian, is common to many barbarous nations.*

As

the

This practice was common to almost all the antient world; especially to the Celtic and Gothic tribes, as manifested by the antiquities now found in their sepulchres. Possibly, therefore, the Asiatic origin of the Esquimaux may hence be deduced. The same custom also exists among Greenlanders; who are, in fact, a branch of the Esquimaux. “They like,” says Crantz, "to make the grave in some remote high place, laying a little moss upon the bare ground (for the rock admits of no digging), and spread a skin upon it..... Near the burying spot they deposit the kajak and darts of the deceased, and the tools he daily used.”—See Crantz's Greenland, vol. I. p. 237. London, 1767.

As it may be expected that something should be said respecting the government and religion of the Esquimaux, I shall briefly state, that they did not appear to me to trouble their heads with either. They certainly paid great respect to the old man who sang to us the song before mentioned; but it does not necessarily follow that he was either a prince or a priest. It is probable that they venerated him more on account of his age, than from any civil or ecclesiastical authority with which he was invested. But the Esquimaux, and all other nations around Hudson's Bay, have a notion of a superior spirit, whom they concur in styling Manéto, or Good Spirit. It is not known whether the Esquimaux have any idea of an Evil Being; but the Cree Indians imagine that there is a great number of that species, whose sole delight consists in tormenting mankind†.

With

† Moschetos are considered as among the winged agents of the Evil Spirit, by some of the North-American tribes.

I 2

With respect to the language of the Esquimaux, I have been able to collect a few specimens: and I shall insert, against each word, in what part of the coast each expression was ascertained to be in use, and the authority from whence I derived my information.

Having given a short account of the Esquimaux, their manners, and customs, I may now proceed with my Journal as before; and content myself with making a few cursory remarks, as we sail along.

AUGUST 1st. The whole of this day we continued off Saddle Back*; as the Hudson's-Bay ships had some arrangements to make, previous to their final separation, which always takes place off Mansfield Island, at the entrance of Hudson's Bay. Towards evening, we began to ply to windward, with a fresh breeze at west. Thermometer 40° in the shade.

AUGUST 2d.—Beating to windward with a strong breeze, in the afternoon we hove-to off Icy Cove, about a mile to the westward of two remarkable hills, called the Virgin's

* See the Sketch of this remarkable Cape, taken on the tops.