Chap. II. COMMANDER JOHN ROSS. 31 



sponded " No : they are alive ; we have seen them 

 move their wings." More enlightened than these 

 Arctic Highlanders (for so Ross calls them) did 

 the messengers of Montezuma, on the arrival of the 

 ships of Cortez, in like manner eagerly inquire — 



" What divine monsters, O ye gods, are these, 

 That float in air, and fly upon the seas ! 

 Come they alive or dead upon the shore?" &c.* 



Saccheous, it seems, succeeded at last, " by many 

 arguments, to persuade them that he was flesh and 

 blood ;" and the most courageous " ventured to 

 touch his hand, then pulling himself by the nose, 

 set up a shout, in which he was joined by Sac- 

 cheous and three others." But enough of this — 

 which runs through eighteen or twenty pages, fol- 

 lowed by a whole chapter of twenty more, which, 

 considered under all circumstances, would be amus- 

 ing enough, did it not prepare the reader for suspi- 

 cion as to its accuracy, as well as of many other 

 statements subsequently recorded in the book. The 

 titles of this extraordinary chapter are : — " The 

 Situation of the Arctic Highlands — Nature of the 

 Country — Produce of the Country — Language of 

 the Arctic Highlanders — Origin of the Arctic 

 Highlanders — Dress — Description — Subject of Re- 

 ligion-^-Mode of Living, and Customs — Habits and 

 Customs." Ross, indeed, suspects that this account 

 " may appear in some points to be defective ;" he 



* Dry den's Emperor of Mexico. 



