188 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VI. 



the midst of all this he was even cheerful, nor was there a 

 gloomy countenance to be seen at the village." — pp. 201, 

 203. 



There is something very extraordinary, as it 

 would appear, in the physical constitution of these 

 people. At this moment, when in want of every 

 kind of subsistence, and kept alive by the distribu- 

 tion of bread-dust, on a hint from the Commander 

 that he wished the females to let him witness some 

 of their games, the proposal was scarcely made 

 when every female that was left in the village, not 

 excepting even the oldest of them, joined in the 

 performance of singing and in never-ceasing merri- 

 ment and laughter. " Neither the want of food 

 and fuel, nor the uncertain prospect of obtaining 

 any that night, were sufficient to deprive these poor 

 creatures of that cheerfulness and good humour 

 which it seems at all times their peculiar happiness 

 to enjoy." Their hilarity was not disturbed this 

 night, for positive intelligence arrived from the ice 

 that two walruses had been taken. " If," says 

 Parry, " the women were only cheerful before, they 

 were now absolutely frantic." 



The end of May having arrived, and the Esqui- 

 maux being ready to depart to the northward, the 

 Commander made them what they considered a 

 most valuable present, which produced in the women 

 such immoderate fits of laughter as to amount al- 

 most to hysterics, which were succeeded by a flood 

 of tears. The men seemed thankful, though less 



