134 THE WHALEMAN ; OR, 



moval of the hut to a new place was in accord- 

 ance with their notions that she would be unable 

 to find it again. 



They have a general belief of an existence 

 after death ; yet so crude, ill-defined, and dark 

 was this belief, that it stands allied with the 

 grossest forms of paganism and idolatry. The 

 glorious gospel of Christ, " which brings life and 

 immortality to light," finds no place in their 

 hopes for the future, nor does it afford any con- 

 solation to them on their pilgrimage to the tomb. 

 They are living, as the apostle said the heathen 

 did in his day, " having no hope, and without 

 God in the world." 



MARRIAGES. 



They are polygamists. They have as many 

 wives as they see fit to take, or as they can sup- 

 port. They have a custom among them of tem- 

 porarily exchanging their wives with each other. 

 The evils of polygamy were obvious among the 

 natives, in the jealousy, contention, wrath, and 

 fighting observable between the different wives. 



GENERAL APPEARANCE. 



From their appearance, we should judge they 

 belonged to the race of Esquimaux. In stature, 

 they are rather below medium height, thick set, 



