The Innuit 231 



Like the Eskimo of Churchill, on the visit Response to 

 of the Rev. J. West, they expressed their willing- In8truction 

 ness to be taught. &quot;They have received the 

 little instruction I have been able to give them 

 with great thankfulness. At the same time, their 

 ignorance and carelessness are so great that they 

 seem quite unable at present to apprehend the 

 solemnities of religion. The chief idea they 

 have in seeing my books is to wish that they could 

 be metamorphosed into tobacco, and, indeed, 

 at present smoking seems to be the sole object of 

 their lives.&quot; 



His experiences in general were set out in a Experiences 

 letter to a friend in England : &quot;It would be easy 

 for you to realize, and even experience, the whole 

 thing if so minded. First go and sleep a night 

 in the first gipsy camp you can find along some 

 roadside, and that is precisely like life with the 

 Indians. From thence go to the nearest well-to- 

 do farmer and spend a night in his pig-sty (with 

 the pigs, of course), and this is exactly life with the 

 Eskimo. As this comprises the whole thing in a 

 nutshell, I think I need give you no further de 

 scription. The difficulty you would have in 

 crawling or wriggling into the sty through a hole 

 only large enough for a pig was exactly my case 

 with the Eskimo houses. As to the habits of 

 your companions, the advantage would be prob 

 ably on the side if the pigs, and the safety of the 

 position decidedly so. As you will not believe 

 in the truth of this little simile, how much less 

 would you believe if I gave you all particulars! 



