1830.] Newfoundland Adventures. 645 



The large cloak which the dog had first seized her by was of bear-skin, 

 worn with the hair inwards, wrapped about the breast, and descending 

 to the middle of the leg. It had also a large falling hood attached, and 

 seemed rather a cumbrous pelisse for July wear. Perhaps there was 

 something of the pride of display connected with the burden ; perhaps 

 mere prudence ; for if it were left at home, (or, more correctly speaking, 

 buried near any of their thousand extempore encampments), their dogs 

 might scratch it up and eat it. Besides, as the owner camped out in 

 all weathers, it served for bed, umbrella, tent, tarpaulin, and also, as we 

 afterwards learned, for a nursery. This did not strike us at the time, 

 as the wearer was destitute of the Esquimaux nurse's cradle-boots, 

 hooped inside with whalebone ; a great convenience, which she had 

 probably left behind to hold the child. She now wore a kind of sandals 

 tied on in the Italian mode, but with a greater liberality of skin, serving 

 both for shoes and stockings. 



Her inner dress was a jacket and drawers of seal-skin, with the fur 

 outwards j the former tastefully fashioned with two broad tails which 

 hung one behind and one before, in the shape of the shields that sur- 

 round the old broadside of Magna Charta. Instead of ancient blazonry, 

 she had decorated them with insertion work coinciding with the curve 

 of the outline. Similar braiding was worked along the outer seam of 

 the arm, and a keepsake of scarlet cloth, one inch square, was stitched 

 on the left shoulder. A curiously cut and embroidered pocket of fox- 

 skin hung by a thong round her neck. Her cap was all of a piece in 

 pattern and substance with the jacket : it was, in fact, a continuation of 

 it, terminating in a point on the top of the head, fancifully stuck over 

 with feathers, and strung with beads of glass and bone. The man's 

 dress was somewhat diiferent. He wore a capuchin coat (a kind of 

 close smock-frock with a hood) of seal-skin, which doubly defended 

 him against the cold, by a lining of feathers within. This garment 

 descended to the middle of the thigh. Beneath, trousers, and five pair 

 of boots (all of seal-skin), defended his lower extremities. Inside all, 

 he wore a kind of shirt, made, as Mr. English told me, of bladders 

 of sea-calf, stitched together with threads formed of the fine nerves of 

 some animal, which the natives expertly ply in their needles of bone. 

 Both the savages were of a middling stature, robust, and of a brownish 

 colour : their ages nearly the same, about thirty. Their complexions 

 had a greasy sallowness that savoured much of the oil of seal and por- 

 poise which they use so liberally. Their heads were large, their faces 

 broad, their lips thick, teeth strong and white, cheek-bones high, 

 and noses flat ; their hair was long, black, and lank ; their shoulders 

 large, and feet uncommonly small. The woman was much the comelier 

 of the two. Her eyes were black, small, and sparkling, and most un- 

 settled, as if continually meditating means of escape. She submitted to 

 her fate with a very bad grace, and became so unquiet in the boat that 

 it was necessary to tie her feet again. 



Simon had contrived to dig a deep grave in which he laid the remains 

 of his faithful follower, and had commenced filling in the earth and 

 stones as Mr. English and I returned to the spot. Suddenly he threw 

 away his tools, and dragged up the body of Cabot again. Grief had 

 effectually checked his loquacity, and we were obliged to 'ask the mean- 

 ing of this movement before he afforded us any explanation. " I cannot 

 part with him entirely," said the old man. " I'll bring home his skin 



