174 AKCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VI. 



find his way into the cabin. " He sat with me," 

 says Parry, " one day for a couple of hours, quietly 

 drawing faces and animals, an occupation to which 

 he took a great fancy ; and we often were reminded 

 by this circumstance, of a similar propensity dis- 

 played by his amiable countryman, our lamented 

 friend, John Sackhouse." He goes on to say : — 

 " We soon found that Toolooak possessed a capacity 

 equal to any thing he chose to take an interest in 

 learning ; and could he, at his present age, have 

 been voluntarily removed from his companions, 

 and his attention directed to the acquirement of 

 higher branches of knowledge than that of catch- 

 ing seals, he would amply have repaid any pains 

 bestowed upon his education." 



An overture made by Parry to this effect, and of 

 removing him, brought forward, as it was intended, 

 a fine trait of feeling and character in this youth, 

 and probably not uncommon in this too much de- 

 spised people. Parry adds, — 



" I had always entertained a great objection to taking 

 away any such individual from his home, on the doubtful 

 chance of benefiting himself, or of his doing any service to 

 the public, as an interpreter. My scruples on this head 

 had hitherto been confined to the consideration due to the 

 individual himself, and to the relatives he leaves behind. In 

 our present case, however, not the smallest public advantage 

 could be derived from it ; for it had long ago become evi- 

 dent that we should soon know more of the Esquimaux 

 language than any of them were likely to learn of English, 

 in any reasonable period of time : I was, therefore, far 

 from desiring to receive from Toolooak an answer in the 



