OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



533 



she will probably be less and less attended to, in proportion as she stands 

 more in need of assistance. 



The different families appear always to live on good terms with each other, 

 though each preserves its own habitation and property as distinct and inde- 

 pendent as any housekeeper in England. The persons living under one 

 roof, who are generally closely related, maintain a degree of harmony 

 among themselves which is scarcely ever disturbed. The more turbulent 

 passions which, when unrestrained by religious principle or unchecked by 

 the dread of human punishment, usually create so much havoc in the world, 

 seem to be very seldom excited in the breasts of these people, which ren- 

 ders personal violence or immoderate anger extremely rare among them; 

 and one may sit in a hut for a whole day, and never witness an angry word 

 or look except in driving out the dogs. If they take an offence, it is more 

 common for them to shew it by the more quiet method of sulkiness, and 

 this they now and then tried as a matter of experiment with us. Okotook, who 

 was often in this humour, once displayed it to some of our gentlemen in his 

 own hut, by turning his back and frequently repeating the expression " good- 

 bye," as a broad hint to them to go away. Toolooak was also a little 

 given to this mood, but never retained it long, and there was no malice 

 mixed with his displeasure. One evening that he slept on board the Fury, 

 he either offended Mr. Skeoch, or thought that he had done so, by this 

 kind of humour ; at all events they parted for the night without any formal 

 reconciliation. The next morning Mr. Skeoch was awakened at an unusu- 

 ally early hour, by Toolooak's entering his cabin and taking hold of his hand 

 to shake it, by way of making up the supposed quarrel. On a disposition 

 thus naturally charitable, what might not Christian education and Christian 

 principles effect! Where a joke is evidently intended, I never knew people 

 more ready to join in it than these are. If ridiculed for any particularity 

 of manner, figure, or countenance, they are sure not to be long behind-hand 

 in returning it, and that very often with interest. If we were the aggressors 

 in this way, some ironical observation respecting the Kabloonas was frequently 

 the consequence; and no small portion of wit as well as irony was at times 

 mixed with their raillery. 



In point of intellect as well as disposition great variety was of course 

 perceptible among the different individuals of this tribe ; but few of them 

 were wanting in that respect. Some indeed possessed a degree of natural 

 quickness and intelligence which perhaps could hardly be surpassed in the 



