428 THE NATURAL HISTOEY " REVIEW. 



do not go soutli of that place, and those who trade there may be 

 considered as partially civilized, as they have to a great extent as- 

 sumed European dress and habits, and are employed by the Hudson 

 Bay Company on various services requiring care and attention, which 

 they perform in a satisfactory manner. They are sober, steady, 

 faithful, and generally speaking, honest ; never begging, as is the 

 practice of the E,ed Indian ; comparatively speaking, provident of 

 their own property and careful of that of others when under their 

 charge. "With a few exceptions they are short in stature, but not 

 dwarfish, being well-built and powerful, long-bodied, exhibiting great 

 strength in lifting weights. Their expression of face is pleasing j 

 their foreheads low and broadish; cheekbones high, features rather 

 flat, and the inner angle of the eye pointing rather downwards, in 

 the manner commonly noticed in the Chinese. Their hair is straight, 

 black, and coarse, cut short on the men, who generally have not 

 much beard. They say their numbers are decreasing ; more especially 

 has this been the case of late years, many having died from a disease 

 resembling, according to their descriptions, influenza, and others 

 from starvation. That they are a well-disposed people, may be in- 

 ferred from the fact that for some weeks a number of families had 

 encamped beside the three persons left in charge of the author's 

 property at winter quarters ; and although this property was placed 

 on the rocks and protected by oil-cloth only, not an article was 

 touched, nor the slightest annoyance given to his men, although 

 sometimes only one of them could remain at home. When the 

 snow thawed about his winter huts in spring, many articles that had 

 been lost or thrown aside came into view. When the natives found 

 any of these, they were brought to him, to know if they were re- 

 quired. Of the Esquimaux of McKenzie Eiver, Dr. Eae, however, 

 speaks in very difi*erent terms. When in 184:8 he accompanied the 

 expedition in search of Sir John Franklin, they chased the boats in 

 their oomiaks and boarded one that had lagged behind the rest, 

 committing the boldest acts of pillage. A more fierce, daring set of 

 fellows could not be conceived ; and any one seeing these savages 

 when angry or excited, could readily believe that a horde of them 

 might well have destroyed the Norsemen who peopled the ancient 

 settlements of South Greenland. All the men wore cheek ornaments 

 made of stone, ivory, or large coloured beads. 



