44? JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



kind of property, which the stronger may 

 take from the weaker whenever there is just 

 reason for quarrelling, if the parties are of 

 their own nation, or whenever they meet, if 

 the weaker party are Dog-ribs or other 

 strangers. They suffer, however, the kinder 

 affections to show themselves occasionally ; 

 they in general live happy with their wives, 

 the women are contented with their lot, and 

 we have witnessed several instances of 

 strong attachment. Of their kindness to 

 strangers we are fully qualified to speak ; 

 their love of property, attention to their in- 

 terests, and fears for the future, made them 

 occasionally clamorous and unsteady, but 

 their delicate and humane attention to us 

 in a season of great distress, at a future pe- 

 riod, are indelibly engraven on our memo- 

 ries. Of their notions of a Deity or future 

 state, we never could obtain any satisfactory 

 account ; they were unwilling perhaps to 

 expose their opinions to the chance of ridi- 

 cule. Akaitcho generally evaded our ques- 

 tions on these points, but expressed a desire 

 to learn from us, and regularly attended 



