SKETCH OF THE BOOTHIANS. 19 



all Others, lie lias also, in his own way, instilled into them such 

 principles as tend to preserve their moral happiness and order: 

 while it is not for man to say in what manner he will hereafter 

 judge those who have obeyed the impulses to good, and those who 

 have indulged the propensities to evil. 



But, of Him, they have no knowledge : in this they resemble all 

 their unconverted brethren of the same great tribe ; while I need 

 not repeat the remarks so often made on this subject. Like others, 

 we found nothing tliat even approximated to this wide-spread piece 

 of knowledge ; and could only conclude that their opinions respect- 

 ing a future state coincided with those which prevail among the 

 Esquimaux at large. If they were influenced by any superstitions 

 which have a reference to a Providence or a future life, we did not 

 discover them : and though possessing an angekok, like all the others, 

 he did not seem to be treated with much deference or any respect. 



We discovered in them a strong propensity to imitation and to 

 mimicry : a property which they converted to immediate use, in 

 learning to feed themselves in the same manner as we did, and with 

 the same utensils ; and under which also they sometimes amused 

 themselves in aping our gait and manners: above all, in the 

 English custom of uselessly walking up and down under the 

 notion of exercise : a practice which they could as little compre- 

 hend as the Orientals, to whom it is so often a subject of wonder. 



This principle extended also to drawing, in which, even with 

 our pencils, they were speedily proficients: while further rendering 

 this talent very useful to us, in delineating the geography of the 

 country; as has been found equally common in the other tribes of 



d2 



