THE NEW BRUNSWICK SEA-LIONS. 223 



noise, was guided entirely by tlie Esquimaux's voice, 

 crying " Right ! '' " Left ! " " Straight on ! " At 

 about six in the morning, thanks to the moonlight 

 which had lit up all our journey, we arrived at a mass 

 of huts built of mud and clay, and covered with 

 pine branches. To speak the truth, the appearance 

 of an Esquimaux village is not very picturesque. 

 All around us were spread scraps and relics of fishing 

 banquets, tainted meat, and other abominations, the 

 nauseating smell of which was scarcely abated by the 

 severity of the cold. Nor was this all we had to 

 endure ; for as soon as the return of Maroah (as our 

 guide was called) was made known, and that he had 

 brought with him two gentlemen from town, the 

 whole tribe of Esquimaux, men, women, and chil- 

 dren, rushed out from their cabins and surrounded 

 us with shouts of joy. All these, without exception, 

 were so covered with dirt and vermin that at the 

 very sight of them we recoiled with horror. They, 

 however, paid little attention to the disgust which 

 they inspired ; the feeling of repugnance at anything 

 was unknown to them, and they could not under- 

 stand it in any one else. The rules of politeness 

 among the Esquimaux imperatively require that every 

 inhabitant of a village, from the oldest man to the 

 infant who has just begun to toddle, should come 

 forward, salute you and give you a grasp of the 

 hand, and this ceremony was gone through in our 

 honour with the greatest solemnity, and amid a 



