Intellectual Character of the Esquimaux. 319 
rode slowly past them, and condescended to salute them by 
taking off his hat, accompanied with a gracious smile ; honours 
which they were highly pleased with, and often mentioned 
afterwards with great exultation. Provided with cloth 
dresses after their own fashion, instead of seal-skin, they were 
taken to Court by Royal command, where their behaviour 
and dress rendered them conspicuous objects. They were 
at the opera when their Majesties were there, and chancing 
to sit by Mr Coleman, the manager of Covent Garden Theatre, 
he invited them to a play. He fixed upon Cymbeline, and 
they were greatly delighted with the representation. But 
their pride was most highly gratified at being received with 
a most thundering applause, by the audience on entering the 
box. The men observed to their wives, that they were placed 
in the King’s box, and received in the same manner as their 
Majesties at the opera, which added considerably to their 
pleasure. They returned with Captain Cartwright to their 
country and friends to all appearance well; but in the en- 
suing Autumn they died of small-pox. 
Travellers who have visited the Esquimaux at their own 
homes, have also furnished us with some interesting facts re- 
garding their first impressions. Kotzebue informs us, that 
nothing attracted the attention of the St Lawrence Islanders 
so much as his telescope. The same admiration of that in- 
strument was observed of the Esquimaux of the Mackenzie. 
They called it eetee-yaw-gah (far eyes), the name that they 
give to the wooden shade which is used to protect their eyes 
from the glare of the snow, which, from the smallness of its 
aperture, enables them to see distant objects more clearly.* 
The report of a gun astonished them much, and an echo from 
some neighburing pieces of ice, made them think that the ball 
had struck the shore then upwards of a mile distant ;+ while 
the Esquimaux of the Coppermine River, when fired upon by 
Hearne’s party ran and picked up the musket-balls, supposing 
them to be thrown to them as presents.{ Perceiving fumes of 
tobacco issuing from the mouth of a person smoking, they 
* Franklin’s Second Journey. + Idem. 
} Hearne’s Journey to the Frozen Ocean. 
