302 Dr King on the Physical Characters of the Esquimaux. 



eheek-bones less projecting than usual, but " having the small 

 eyes and broad nose which ever distinguish that people.'"** Of 

 the natives of Regent's Inlet, Sir John Ross expresses an opi- 

 nion that the females were certainly not beautiful, but their 

 features were mild, and their cheeks, like those of the men, 

 ruddy, and one girl of thirteen years of age was considered to 

 have a pretty face. Lieutenant Roger Curtis considered the 

 natives of Labrador as, " in general, not very disagreeably 

 featured, though there were some among them who were ex- 

 tremely ugly. They were flat visaged, and had short noses." 



In complexion, Sir Edward Parryt considers the Esquimaux 

 not darker than the Portuguese, and such parts of the body as 

 are constantly covered, not to fall short in fairness to the ge- 

 nerality of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean, a very fine 

 healthy blush tinges the cheeks of females and young children, 

 and frequently they have complexions nearly as fair as that of 

 Europeans ; but the men are more inclined to be sallow. Sir 

 Martin Frobisher states, " their colour is not much unlike the 

 sun-burnt countryman.'' The natives of St Lawrence Island 

 are somewhat fairer, and at Prince William's Sound " the 

 complexion of some of the women and of the children is white, 

 but without any mixture of red." J 



The beard is scanty, but few instances occurring of the chin 

 being entirely covered. The moustaches are more thick. 

 The hair is straight, coarse, and of a raven black, but it has, 

 for a few years during infancy, a shade of brown. On their 

 bodies there is but little hair ; in fact, some are totally desti- 

 tute of it ;§ and at St Lawrence Island there is a deficiency 

 even of beard.H The hair becomes blanched in persons ad- 

 vanced in years, which was common at Regent's Inlet; while 

 at Herschel Island, to the westward of the Mackenzie River, 

 an old woman, whose hair was silvered with age, was a con- 

 spicuous object.^ A solitary case of bald head is recorded in 

 a native of Regent's Inlet, aged fifty-six years.** 



The Esquimaux are of a robust make and healthy appear- 

 ance, with small hands and feet, well turned at the ankles, 



• Sir John Franklin. t Also Lyon, Hearne, Curtis. + Captain Cook. 

 § Cook, Curtis, Parry, Lyon. || Beechy. f Franklin. ** Ross. 



