330 A JOURNEY TO THE 



lence and universal humanity to all the human race,* accord- 

 ing to his abilities and manner of life, could [351] not be 

 exceeded by the most illustrious personage now on record ; 

 and to add to his other good qualities, he was the only Indian 

 that I ever saw, except one, who was not guilty of backbiting 

 and slandering his neighbours. 



In stature, Matonabbee was above the common size, being 

 nearly six feet high t ; and, except that his neck was rather 

 (though not much) too short, he was one of the finest and 

 best proportioned men that I ever saw. In complexion he was 

 dark, like the other Northern Indians, but his face was not 

 disfigured by that ridiculous custom of marking the cheeks 

 with three or four black lines. His features were regular and 

 agreeable, and yet so strongly marked and expressive, that they 

 formed a complete index of his mind ; which, as he never 

 intended to deceive or dissemble, he never wished to conceal. 

 In conversation he was easy, lively, and agreeable, but exceed- 

 ingly modest ; and at table, the nobleness and elegance of his 

 manners might have been admired by the first personages 

 in the world ; for to the vivacity of a Frenchman, and the 



* I must here observe, that when we went to war with the Esquimaux at the 

 Copper River in July 1771, it was by no means his proposal : on the contrary, 

 he was forced into it by his countrymen. For I have heard him say, that when 

 he first visited that river, in company with I-dot-le-aza, they met with several 

 Esquimaux ; and so far from killing them, were very friendly to them, and made 

 them small presents of such articles as they could best spare, and that would be 

 of most use to them. It is more than probable that the two bits of iron found 

 among the plunder while I was there, were part of those presents. There were 

 also a few longheads found among those people, but quite different from any that 

 the Hudson's Bay Company had ever sent to the Bay ; so that the only probable 

 way they could have come by them, must have been by an intercourse with some 

 of their tribe, who had dealings with the Danes in Davis's Straits. It is very 

 probable, however, they might have passed through many hands before they 

 reached this remote place. Had they had an immediate intercourse with the 

 Esquimaux in Davis's Straits, it is natural to suppose that iron would not have 

 been so scarce among them as it seemed to be ; indeed the distance is too great 

 to admit of it. 



t I have seen two Northern Indians who measured six feet three inches; 

 and one, six feet four inches. 



