352 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S 



As these people never stay long in a place, con- 

 sequently they never build, houses, but live the 

 year round in miserable whigwhams; the cover- 

 ings of which, are deer-skins and birch rinds: 

 the skins which they use for this purpose, as well 

 as for clothes; are tainted, to take off the hair, 

 then washed in a lather of brains and water, and 

 afterwards dried and well rubbed: but for winter 

 use, they will also have jackets of beaver, or deer- 

 skins, with the hair on. As to the morals of these 

 people, I cannot speak much in praise of them, 

 for they are greatly addicted to drunkenness and 

 theft. They profess the Roman Religion; but 

 know no more of it, than merely to repeat a prayer 

 or two, count their beads, and see a priest when- 

 ever they go to Quebec. 



The Esquimaux being a detachment from the 

 Greenlanders, or those from them,^ any attempt 

 of mine to describe them, would be impertinent; 

 since that has already been done by much abler 

 pens. I will therefore content myself with say- 

 ing, they are the best tempered people I ever met 

 with, and most docile : nor is there a nation under 

 the sun, with which I would sooner trust my per- 

 son and property; although, till within these few 

 years, they were never known to have any inter- 

 course with Europeans, without committing theft 

 or murder, and generally both. 



The Climate is remarkably healthy, as an at- 



1 Both of these views are still under discussion. The Eskimos are of 

 the same linguistic stock and have very similar habits from Greenland 

 to Behring Sea. 



