OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



523 



Certainty of detection however among a lawless and ferocious people, 

 instead of preventing robbery, would more probably add violence and 

 murder to the first crime, and the strongest would ultimately gain the upper 

 hand. We cannot therefore but admire the undisturbed security in which 

 these people hold their property, without having recourse to any restraint 

 beyond that which is incurred by the tacitly-received law of mutual for- 

 bearance. 



In the barter of their various commodities their dealings with us were fair 

 and upright, though latterly they were by no means backward or inexpert 

 in driving a bargain. The absurd and childish exchanges * which they at 

 first made with -our people, induced them subsequently to complain that the 

 Kabloonas had stolen their things, though the profit had been eventually a 

 hundred-fold in their favour. Many such complaints were made, when the 

 only fault in the purchaser had been excessive liberality, and frequently 

 also as a retort, by way of warding off the imputation of some dishonesty of 

 their own. A trick not uncommon with the women was, to endeavour to 

 excite the commiseration, and to tax the bounty of one person by relating 

 some cruel theft of this kind, that had, as they said, been practised upon 

 them by another. One day, after I had bought a knife of Togolat, she told 

 Captain Lyon, in a most piteous tone, that Parree had stolen her last ooloo, 

 that she did not know what to do without one, and at length coming to the 

 point begged him to give her one. Presently after this, her husband coming 

 in and asking for something to eat, she handed him some meat accompa- 

 nied by a very fine ooloo. Her son being thus reminded of eating made 

 the same request, upon which a second knife was produced and, imme- 

 diately after, a third of the same kind for herself. Captain Lyon, having 

 amused himself in watching these proceedings, which so well confirmed the 

 truth of the proverb, that certain people ought to have good memories, now 

 took the knives, one by one, out of their hands, and holding them up to 

 Togolat, asked her if Parree had not stolen her last ooloo. A hearty laugh 

 all round was the only notice taken by them of this direct detection of the 

 deceit. 



The confidence which they really placed in us was daily and hourly 

 evinced by their leaving their fishing gear stuck in the snow all round the 

 ships; and not a single instance occurred, to my knowledge, of any theft 



* Crantz, I. 173. 



