CHAP. XXX. THE ESQUIMAUX. 163 



every woman a tailor and shoemaker. 'They seem,' 

 says Mr. McLean, Ho possess all the virtues of the 

 dilTerent races from which they are sprung, except 

 courage ; they are generally allowed to be more timid 

 than the natives. But if not courageous, they possess 

 vulues that render courage less necessary ; they avoid 

 giving offence, and are seldom, therefore, injured by 

 others.' 



The Esquimaux have always been regarded as a very 

 ingenious race, and in general superior to the Lidians of 

 the interior of the American continent. The Eev. W. W. 

 Kirkby, whom I had the pleasure of meeting frequently at 

 EedEiver in 1857 and 1858, describes the Esquimaux of 

 the Lower Mackenzie as possessing some characteristics 

 differing from those of the same race who frequent the 

 northern coasts of the Labrador Peninsula. Mr. Kirkby 

 is now on a missionary tour in the Mackenzie Eiver 

 district, and the following extract from a commvmication 

 sent by him from ' the Youcon will be read with in- 

 terest. A brief notice of the habits of the Indian on 

 this little known and remote river, from the pen of Mr. 

 Kirkby, is contained in the Appendix. 



I left home on the 2nd of May in a canoe paddled by a couple 

 of Indians belonging to my mission here. We followed the ice 

 down the noble Mackenzie, staying awhile with Indians wherever 

 we met them, and remained three or four days at each of the 

 forts along the route. On the 11th of June I left the zone in 

 which my life had hitherto been jDassed, and entered the less 

 genial arctic one. Then, however, it was pleasant enough. The 

 immense masses of ice piled on each side of the river sufficiently 

 cooled the atmosphere to make travelling enjoyable ; while 

 the sun shed upon us the comfort of light nearly the whole 



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