In one of their tents, I saw a female far advanced in pregnancy; she was sitting upon the ground, closely wrapt in skins as high as her hips; and during the whole of my stay, she never attempted to rise. It may now be proper to relate an anecdote of a very interesting nature; which I received upon such indisputable authority, that it will not admit of a doubt, as to its veracity. The land to the northward of Churchill Factory, in Hudson's Bay, is inhabited by Esquimaux, who, contrary to the general customs of this people, employ themselves in hunting. They carry their furs annually to Churchill Factory, for the purpose of traffic. In one of their periodical visits, a young woman was seen amongst them, having a sickly infant in her arms, respecting whose health she appeared to be particularly solicitous; and as as some of the domesticated. Indian women in the factory, belonging to the nation of Cree Indians, partly understood the Esquimaux tongue, the young woman explained to them, that, as the infant was her firstborn child, if it should unfortunately die, her husband would undoubtedly put her to death. The infant expired shortly after this explanation took place; and some Europeans visiting the Esquimaux encampment a day or two afterwards, made inquiries respecting the unhappy mother; when the Indians silently pointed to the spot where the poor victim was interred! This circumstance has given rise to an assertion, that if a first-born child die before it reaches a particular age, the mother is certain of being immolated, for a supposed want of attention to her infant. I had no means of ascertaining this singular custom myself; but I have before observed, that there did not appear either sickly or deformed child or adult amongst them. Most Their fire-places, as before stated, are outside the tents; and they have no need of any in the interior, as the seal-skins that cover them are like parchment oiled, and will not admit the wind, nor give egress to the breath; therefore their habitations are not only warm, but at mid-day, when I visited them, they were oppressively hot. With respect to their winter residence, I can say little or nothing. people suppose that they live in caves, by lamp-light; but the Abbé Raynal, who mentions the Esquimaux in his History of the East and West Indies, is of a different opinion. As the Abbé is both correct and incorrect, in many points of which I had a good opportunity to judge, perhaps it may not be amiss to give an extract from the part of his work relating to the Esquimaux Indians. "This "This sterility of Nature extends itself to every thing. The human race are "few in number, and scarce any of its "individuals above four feet high. Their "heads bear the same enormous proportion "to their bodies as those of children: the "smallness of their feet makes them awk"ward and tottering in their gait : small "hands, and a round mouth, which in "Europe are reckoned a beauty, seem al"most a deformity in these people; because we see nothing here but the effects of a "weak organization, and of a cold that "contracts and restrains the springs of "growth, and is fatal to the progress of “animal as well as vegetable life. Besides all this, their men, although they have "neither hair nor beard, have the appear"ance of being old, even in their youth: "this is partly occasioned by the formation of their lower lip, which is thick, fleshy, "and projecting beyond the upper. Such "are the Esquimaux, who inhabit not only d. rom whence they are supmul mer rosices. Both ter rusations mi complexions par- zet ze pay of ther food. The Thien, is her bod, and deze wich is their drink, • one or a more complexion, a strong I + mi tenacious fiscale 1 surt of scaly **** = ast & probably the reason Me sine cus increpid 'frequently carry their children on "shoulders, who pull their mothers' br "with their hands, and almost suspe "themselves by them. 66 Like ne "It is not true, that there are races of Esquimaux entirely black, as has been "supposed |