TOILET OF THE NATIVES. 225 



tendered, particularly the nosc-rubbiiig salutation 

 vvliich we had some difficulty to avoid without offending. 

 The men only appear to wear the labret, and where a 

 single one is borne it is generally on the left side of 

 the mouth. I observed some men with bare crowns 

 in priestly fashion, but the major part left the hair 

 untouched : the reason for the practice of clipping 

 may be better guessed than alluded to. I saw no 

 tattooed marks on the men : in the women all discernible 

 were lines, generally in pairs, drawn from the lower 

 lip to the chin ; they were of a dark hue and deeply 

 punctured; indeed, in some instances the flesh had risen 

 up in ridges. The women's hair was cut in front 

 level with the eyebrows j behind, it grew long, and was 

 gathered into two "rat tails," such as young ladies 

 sometimes wear in England, but being very thick and 

 bound tightly round with strips of stiff hide, they 

 stuck out on each side like small cable ends, which 

 indeed they much resembled. Having concluded the 

 observations, and erected a pole on the spot where they 

 were taken, we went off to the boats to dine. The 

 Esquimaux assembled on the beach opposite to us, 

 and commenced a festival concert, singing, dancing, 

 and gesticulating, to the sound of two large native 

 di'ums or tambourines, very hke those of the Tuski ; 

 the burthen of their song was ever — Hi, Yangah 



Q 



