146 EBV. GEO. PATTEESON ON THE BEOTHIKS 



gentleness, affection and obedience, and the last act of her life was to take a ring- from her 

 finger and beg that it might be sent to John Peyton." It may be stated here that it was 

 afterward ascertained that she left two children behind her, one of them an infant, which 

 is said to have died a few days after her capture. 



"The tribe was in the neighbourhood of this disastrous meeting, and it was neces- 

 sary that the Peytons shovild secure their retreat. They had a sleigh drawn by dogs in 

 which she placed herself, when she understood that she was to accompany the party, and 

 directed them by signs to cover her over, holding her legs out to have her moccasins 

 laced, and here and subsequently by her helplessness, by the attention she appeared 

 habitually to expect at the hand of others, and by her [uu] acquaintance with any labori- 

 ous employment, she seemed to have been accustomed to a treatment of female savages 

 very different from that of all other tribes." We doubt Capt. R.'s interpretation of her 

 conduct in this respect, but it was remarked by others that her dignified mien suggested 

 the idea of her being a chief's wife, if not a chief in her own right. 



"She was quite unlike an Eskimo in face and figure, tall and rather stout body, 

 limbs very small and delicate, particvilarly her arms. Her hands and feet very small and 

 beautifully formed, and of these she was very proud. Her complexion, a light copper 

 colour, became nearly as fair as a European's after a course of washing and absence from 

 smoke. Her hair was black," and others say very much like that of a European, " her 

 eyes " black and " larger and more intelligent than those of an Eskimo, her teeth small, 

 white and regular, her cheek bones rather high, btit her countenance had a mild and 

 pleasing expression. Her voice was sweet, low and musical. 



"When brought to Fogo she was taken into the house of Mr. Leigh, the church mis- 

 sionary, where for some time she was ill at ease, and twice during the night attempted to 

 escape to the woods, where she must have immediately perished in the snow. She was, 

 however, carefully watched, and in a few weeks was tolerably reconciled to her situation, 

 and appeared to enjoy the comforts of civilization, particularly the clothing. Her own 

 were of dressed deer skins, tastefully trimmed with marten, bu.t she would not put them 

 on or part with them. She ate sparingly, disliked wine or spirits, was very fond of sleep, 

 never getting up Jo breakfast before 9 o'clock. She lay rolled up in a ball in the middle 

 of her bed. Her extreme personal delicacy and propriety were very remarkable, and 

 appeared more an innate feeling than any exhibition of tact or conventional trick. Her 

 power of mimicry was very remarkable and enabled her quickly to speak the language 

 she heard, and before this she could express herself by signs and dumb motions that were 

 curiously significant. She described the servants, blacksmiths, tailor, shoemaker, a man 

 who wore spectacles, and other persons whom she could not name with a most happy 

 minuteness of imitation." 



"She would sometimes, though rarely, speak freely to Mr. Leigh, and talk of her 

 tribe. They believe in a G-reat Spirit, but seem to have no religious ceremonies. Polygamy 

 does not appear to be practised. Mr. Leigh is of opinion that they are about three hun- 

 dred in number. I forget the data from which he calculates. They live in separate wig- 

 wams. Mary's consisted of sixteen. The number was discovered in rather a curious 

 manner. She went frequently to her bedroom during the day, and when Mr. Leigh's 

 housekeeper went up she always found her rolled in a ball apparently asleep. At last a 

 quantity of blue cloth was missed, and from the great jealousy that Mary showed about 



