Hudson's Strait and Bay. 



2G3 



the ship had been carried about thirty miles to the westward of Ashe's 

 Inlet, and we were obliged to retrace our course. 



About five p. M., of this day, the ice having closed in again, some 

 Eskimos were seen walking over the frozen surface to the ship. The 

 party consisted of four men and one woman, the latter carrying a baby 

 in the hood of her dress. They were all hoisted on board by ropes, 

 the poor creatures seeming to have perfect confidence in our good 

 intentions. They had small bundles of skins and curiosities for 

 trade and, soon after they came on board, bartering began. They had 

 rather a pitiful supply of seal skins, walrus ivory and a few seal skin 

 boots. The prices for these articles were a plug of black strap tobacco, 

 or some powder, or some percussion caps. 



The Eskimo woman, in spite of the burden on her back, seemed 

 quite able to keep up with the men in coming over the ice. Her infant, 

 apparently about a year and a half old, was entirely nude, and was 

 thrust into the seal-skin hood on its mother's back. The poor little 

 wretch was blubbering away with cold and fright. Its head only could 

 be seen peeping over the mother's shoulder. It was a most grotesque 

 little face. It indicated a paternity not Eskimo, its hair being of a 

 light color. One could imagine that that portion of its organism 

 derived from its white father was crying out against such heroic treat- 

 ment as it was then undergoing, while that portion derived from its 

 mother was trying to conquer such effeminacy. 



The struggle of races was going on in the little body, and expressing 

 itself in the disturbed and wailing face. While its plump little body 

 was covered, by nature, with a good layer of blubber to keep out the 

 cold, its face was covered with another kind of blubber as a protest 

 against the frigidity of the air. 



The mother and the men seemed happy, cheerful and, like children, 

 were fully impressed with the novelty of every thing on board the ship. 



At night they were all sent up to the forecastle to sleep. The baby 

 was a great source of amusement to the sailors. One of them wrapped 

 the little thing up in a warm flannel shirt before it went to sleep for 

 the night. 



One's heart goes out in pity to these poor people, whose lives are 

 passed in such inhospitable regions in a constant struggle against all 

 the adverse forces of nature. Yet they seem happy and contented. 

 Fortunately, their heroic method of bringing up the children weeds 

 out, iii early infancy, all the weakly ones. 



As they have no farinaceous food, the mothers nurse their children 

 until the latter are five, and sometimes sk, years old. The men, women 



