28 M'Keetor's Voyage to Hudson's Bay. 



we are accustomed to in civilized life, that one would almost 

 fancy them the natives of a different planet altogether. 



In stature the Esquimeaux is inferior to the generality of Eu- 

 ropeans. I have never seen any of them exceed five feet in 

 height, excepting one, who was five feet four inches. Their faces 

 are broad, and approach more to the rounded form than that of 

 the European; their cheek-bones are high; their cheeks round 

 and plump, mouth large, and lips slightly everted; the glabella, 

 or interval between the eyes, is flat and very broad ; the nose is 

 small, but not flat, as some writers have described ; their eyes, 

 in general, are of a deep black ; some, however, are of a dark 

 chesnut-colour ; they appear very small, owing to the eye-lids 

 being so much encumbered with fat ; the head is large ; hair 

 uniformly long, lank, and of a black colour ; their eye-lids 

 appeared tender, owing, I suppose, to the piercing winds and 

 strong glare of light reflected from the snow in winter-time ; 

 the ears are situated far back on the head, and are moveable ; 

 their bodies are large, square, and robust, chest high, shoul- 

 ders very broad ; their hands and feet remarkably small ;* 

 there is, however, no sudden diminution ; both extremities 

 appear to taper from above, downwards in a wedge-like shape. 

 Their boots and shoes being made of undressed leather, being 

 also very clumsy, I did not for some time take particular no- 

 tice of tneir feet. I happened, however, to observe one of the 

 men on the quarter-deck endeavouring to draw on a pair of 

 boots, which he had just purchased from the man whose mea- 

 surement I have given ; the leg passed on easy enough until 

 it came to the lower part, when it was suddenly arrested, nor 

 could he force it further, though he tugged and pulled at it 

 for a considerable time. They are of a deep tawney, or rather 

 copper-coloured complexion. The assertion that they have 

 got no beard must be treated as an idle tale ; the fact is, it no 

 sooner appears than, from motives of comfort, and, perhaps, of 

 cleanliness, they pluck it out by the root, having no more 

 convenient way of removing it. I recollect bringing one of 

 the young men, whose beard was just beginning to make its 

 appearance, down to the cabin, and showing him the mode of 

 using a razor : the poor fellow appeared highly delighted ; he 

 placed himself before a glass, ana really imitated the process 

 of shaving very well ; however, he nicked himself in two or 

 three places, at which he laughed very heartily. I did not 

 remark that difference of voice in the young and adult, which 



* Small hands and feet they possess in common with the Chinese, Kams- 

 chatkans, New Hollanders, Peruvians, and Hottentots. 



