430 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. XI. 



arguments ; and he told us they had expressed 

 great sorrow for having given so much cause of 

 offence." He said, moreover, that they pleaded 

 ignorance, having never before seen white men ; 

 that they had seen so many fine things entirely 

 new to them, that they could not resist the tempta- 

 tion of stealing ; they promised never to do the 

 like again ; and gave a proof of their sincerity by 

 restoring the articles that had been stolen. And 

 thus in an amicable manner was the affray con- 

 cluded. 



These people in possession of the country border- 

 ing on the coast between the Mackenzie River and 

 the Rocky Mountains, appear to have assumed a 

 more warlike character, from frequent collisions 

 with their neighbours the Dog- Rib Indians, than 

 their countrymen generally possess. It was also 

 observed, that the farther the party advanced to 

 the westward, the more they found the Esquimaux 

 features taking the resemblance of those of the Tar- 

 tar race, distinguished by high cheek-bones, and 

 small obliquely elongated eyes, not unlike those of 

 the Chinese. 



" Every man had pieces of bone or shells thrust through 

 the septum of his nose ; and holes were pierced on each side 

 of the under lip, in which were placed circular pieces of 

 ivory, with a large blue bead in the centre, similar to those 

 represented in the drawings of the natives on the N.W. 

 coast of America, in Kotzebue's Voyage. These ornaments 

 were so much valued, that they declined selling them ; and 



