SOUTHAMPTON ISLAND. 59 



was pronounced shortly, appeared in conse- 1824. 

 quence to abound in monosyllables. August. 



We found two tents, very small, and full of 

 holes^ by which both wind and rain might 

 enter in all directions. They were of badly 

 dressed seal-skins. Five women and their six 

 children were the inmates, and when we en- 

 tered, the former shewed no signs either of 

 fear or surprise, but received us as if they had 

 been accustomed to the sight of Europeans all 

 their lives. The children, on the contrary, all 

 hid their heads, and neither spoke to, nor even 

 looked at us during the whole visit. One of 

 the women, by her appearance, could have been 

 scarcely fifteen years of age, yet carried her own 

 child, a stout boy of at least a twelvemonth 

 old, at her back. Her face was as perfect 

 an oval as that of an European girl, with re- 

 gular and even pretty features. Her mother 

 was with her, and had the same cast of coun- 

 tenance, save that she squinted abominably — 

 a defect I have witnessed but in one other in- 

 stance amongst these people. The other women 

 had the broad flat faces and high cheek bones 

 usually met with. I had no sooner entered 

 Neeakoodloo's tent, than remembering, I sup- 

 pose, my present to him, he took up a large 

 new deer-skin, rolled it neatly up, and threw 



