30 M'Keevor's Voyage to Hudson* '$ Bay, 



When the women had disposed of their merchandise, they 

 all cried out, " Twa wi, twa wi ;" and then pointed to the 

 ehip, thus intimating 1 their wish that we should leave them. 



In the evening about sixty of them, men, women, and 

 children, came on board. The women appeared highly de- 

 lighted with the dancing, and imitated it very closely. We 

 shewed three or four of the men the two bears we had taken 

 on the ice. They appeared very much terrified at the sight 

 of them, and uttered something which I could not under- 

 stand. One of them pointed to his side, where I observed a 

 very large scar ; he then made a growling kind of noise, and 

 ran away with great speed, I thence concluded that this 

 poor fellow had been bit by a bear some time previous. Tea 

 being announced, we brought several of them down to the 

 cabin, and placed before them wine, rum, sugar, bread, milk, 

 and a variety of other things; but they rejected them all with 

 the greatest disgust; sugar they appeared to dislike particur 

 larly. Every one of them, I observed, spit it out, and cleansed 

 their mouths after it. 



We happened to have for dinner that day some very nice 

 roasted pork, and being anxious to see if they would eat 

 of it, I placed a large slice on a plate before one of them ; 

 F also laid a knife and fork before him. He appeared to like 

 the meat well enough, but his knife and fork he managed very 

 badly ; for instead of introducing the piece on the fork into 

 his mouth, the point of it went off to his cheek, while the hand 

 went to his mouth. I was much amused with this singular 

 instance of the strong force of habit. The children behaved 

 themselves remarkably well. We could not, however, pre- 

 vail on them to sit more than a few minutes in one position. 

 When placed in a chair, they would look down on either side 

 of it, jump up, and run about the cabin. Being anxious to 

 hear what the mother would say in case I attempted chastising 

 one of them, I began to pull the ears of a very fine boy, 

 about twelve years old, whp was sitting beside me. The 

 mother immediately stood up, and gave me a very fierce angry 

 look. Observing that she was much displeased, I immediately 

 began to pat him on the head, and gave him a few beads. She 

 instantly recovered her good-humour, and cried out, " Chimo, 

 chirao." There was only one of them attempted to pilfer. 

 Happening to look round rather suddenly, 1 observed one of 

 them slipping a silver spoon into his boot. I immediately 

 arrested nis hand, took the spoon, and shewed it to his com- 

 panions. He did not appear at all ashamed of being de- 

 lected, but laughed very neartily. 



