OF THE POLAR SEA. 77 



ever, the kinder affections to shew themselves 

 occasionally ; they, in general, live happily with 

 their wives, the women are contented with their 

 lot, and we witnessed several instances of strong 

 attachment. Of their kindness to strangers we 

 are fully qualified to speak; their love of pro- 

 perty, attention to their interests, and fears for 

 the future, made them occasionally clamorous and 

 unsteady; but their delicate and humane attention 

 to us, in a season of great distress, at a future 

 period, are indelibly engraven on our memories. 

 Of their notions of a Deity, or future state, we 

 never could obtain any satisfactory account; they 

 were unwilling, perhaps, to expose their opinions 

 to the chance of ridicule. Akaitcho generally 

 evaded our questions on these points, but ex- 

 pressed a desire to learn from us, and regularly 

 attended Divine Service during his residence at 

 the fort, behaving with the utmost decorum. 



This leader, indeed, and many others of his 

 tribe, possess a laudable curiosity, which might 

 easily be directed to the most important ends; 

 and I believe, that a well-conducted Christian 

 mission to this quarter would not fail of producing 

 the happiest effect. Old Keskarrah alone used 



boldly to express his disbelief of 



Deity, and state that he could not credit t 

 istence of a Being, whose power was said to 



