340 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
live fo far to the North, as not to have any in- 
tercourfe with our veflels, very often fall a facri- 
fice to the fury and fuperftition of the Northern 
Indians; who are by no means a bold or warlike 
people; nor can I think from experience, that 
they are particularly guilty of committing acts of 
wanton cruelty on any other part of the human 
race befide the #{quimaux. ‘Their hearts, how- 
ever... 
themfelves and their families, as they can feldom procure any part of their 
livelihood without the affiftance of a confiderable apparatus. 
In 1756, the Efquimaux at Knapp’s Bay fent two of their youths to 
Prince of Wales’s Fort in the floop, and the Summer following they were 
éarried back to their friends, loaded with prefents, and much pleafed with 
the treatment they received while at the Fort. In 1767, they again fent 
one from Knapp’s Bay and one from Whale Cove; and though during 
their ftay at the Fort they made a confiderable progrefs both in the Sou- 
thern Indian and the Englifh languages, yet thofe intercourfes have not 
been any ways advantageous to the Company, by increafing the trade from 
that quarter. In faét, the only fatisfaétion they have found forthe great 
éxpence they have from time to time incurred, by introducing thofe ftran- 
gers, is, that through the good conduét of their upper fervants at Churchill 
River, they have at length fo far humanized the hearts of thofe two 
tribes, that at prefent they can meet each other in a friendly manner; 
whereas, a few years fince, whenever they met, each party premeditated 
the deftruction of the other; and what made their war more fhocking, was, 
they never gave quarter: fo that the ftrongeft party always killed the 
weakeft, without fparing either man, woman, or child. 
It is but 2 few years ago that the floop’s crew who annually carried 
them all their wants, durft not venture on fhore among the Efquimaux 
unarmed, for fear of being murdered; but latterly they are fo civilized, 
that the Company’s fervants vifit their tents with the greateft freedom 
and fafety, are always welcome, and defired to partake of fach provifions 
as they have: and knowing now our averfion from train-oil, they take 
évery means in their power to convince our people that the victuals pre- 
pared for them is entirely free from it. But the fimell of their tents, cook- 
ing-utenfils, and other furniture, is fearcely lefs offenfive than Greenland 
Dock. However I have eaten both fifh and venifon cooked by them in fo 
cleanly a manner, that I have relifked them very much, and partaken of 
them with a good appetite. 
