194 LABRADOR 



have much more difficulty in the matter of correct articu- 

 lation than do persons of English speech. Nevertheless 

 the two races, the French and the Indian, are by tempera- 

 ment rather notably acceptable to each other. It has been 

 remarked that the Highland Scotch, in particular, learn the 

 native dialects well and readily. This peculiarity seems 

 more than an accident of linguistics, for the young High- 

 landers brought over by the Hudson's Bay Company not 

 only learn the language easily, but marry forthwith, fall 

 into the life, and show in their children as encouraging ex- 

 amples of such combining of extreme elements, the very 

 light and the deep brown, as may well be found. On the 

 other hand, the young Englishmen brought over in the 

 earlier period of the Hudson's Bay Company were a notable 

 failure in adaptability to the conditions, remaining alien to 

 the life and seeking usually a final escape from their sur- 

 roundings. 



Analysis of the deeper affinities of the language must be 

 left to the linguist ; superficially it does not appear to have 

 a common origin with any of the European tongues. It 

 must be supposed that articulation, at least, is affected by 

 climate and mode of life, as is physiognomy as well in the 

 case of dwellers upon wind-blown plains. A relation may 

 exist between the mild climate of southern Europe and the 

 prevailing use of the outer organs of speech by the Latin 

 races. The rolling r and the mobile face are hardly to be 

 associated with high latitudes. In the north, on the con- 

 trary, it might be difficult to find any word in the Algon- 

 quian, or in that very different language, the Eskimo, 

 which could not be spoken clearly with the face immov- 

 able. These are languages which can be used without 



