THIRD VOYAGE 329 



of the heads of land and sea animals, such as wolves, deer, 

 porpoises, and others. So fond are they of these disguises, 

 that I have seen one of them put his head into a tin kettle 

 he had got from us, for want of another sort of mask. 

 Whether they use these extravagant masquerade ornaments 

 on any particular religious occasion or diversion, or whether 

 they be put on to intimidate their enemies when they go to 

 battle, by their monstrous appearance, or as decoys when 

 they go to hunt animals, is uncertain. 



" Though there be but too much reason, from their 

 bringing to sale human skulls and bones, to infer that they 

 treat their enemies with a degree of brutal cruelty, this 

 circumstance rather marks a general agreement of character 

 with that of almost every tribe of uncivilized men in every 

 age, and in every part of the globe, than that they are to be 

 reproached with any charge of peculiar inhumanity. They 

 seem to be a docile, courteous, good-natured people. 



" When displeased, they are exceedingly violent, but they 

 are soon pacified. Their curiosity appears in some measure 

 to lie dormant. For few expressed any desire to see or 

 examine things wholly unknown to them ; and which, to 

 those truly possessed of that passion, would have appeared 

 astonishing. They were always contented to procure the 

 articles they knew and wanted, regarding every thing else 

 with great indifference ; nor did our persons, apparel, and 

 manners, so different from their own, or even the extra- 

 ordinary size and construction of our ships, seem to excite 

 admiration or even engage attention. 



" The only instruments of music (if such they may be 

 called) which I saw amongst them, were a rattle, and a small 

 whistle with one hole only. They use the rattle when they 

 sing, but upon what occasions they use the whistle I know 

 not ; unless it be when they dress themselves like particular 

 animals, and endeavour to imitate their howl or cry. I once 

 saw one of them dressed in a wolf's skin, with the head over 

 his own, and imitating that animal by making a squeaking 

 noise with one of these whistles which he had in his mouth. 

 ' The houses are disposed in three ranges or rows, rising 

 gradually behind each other, the largest being that in front 

 and the others less. Though there be some appearance of 

 regularity in this disposition, there is none in the single 

 houses. The height of the sides and ends of these habita- 

 tions is seven or eight feet ; the back part is higher than the 

 front, by which means the planks that compose the roof 

 slant forward ; they are laid on loose, and are moved to let 

 out smoke and admit air or light. There are holes or 

 windows in the sides of the houses to look out at, but 

 without any regularity of shape or disposition ; and these 



