430 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
leave their wives at home, to pine away the lonely hours in 
moping melancholy. In vain, the Esquimaux urged, that they 
were frequently absent from home for a greater length of time, 
on their fishing expeditions, than they would be, if they ac¬ 
companied the Kabloonas ; in vain they presented to the ima¬ 
gination of the domineering ladies, the value of the presents, 
which they should receive—-files, fish-hooks, needles, and per¬ 
haps a string of beads—it was like talking to one of Capt. 
Ross’ monuments of snow; the women had made up their 
minds, that their husbands should not go; at the same time, 
like the women of other countries, they could not give a good 
or substantial reason for the resolution, which they had formed ; 
it was a fancy, a whim, a conceit, a crotchet; it was, in fact, 
just such a reason as nine-tenths of the women, born in the 
latitude of 5’2° north, can give for many of the actions, which 
they commit, and which contributes so largely to the increase 
and permanency of domestic happiness. Our documents are 
silent as to the acts or manoeuvres practised by the Esquimaux, 
to overturn the resolution of their wives, and thereby permit¬ 
ting them to repair to the ship, with the view of accompanying 
some of the officers on their expedition ; and therefore it may be 
supposed to have proceeded from that constitutional fickleness 
of character, which has been the dowry of woman, since Eve 
commenced the deplorable work of the multiplication of the 
human species. 
The Esquimaux were very much disappointed, when they 
found, that Commander Ross had set out without them, but 
they excused themslves for their neglect in another way, by stat¬ 
ing, that they had mistaken the day, and, in fact, from their rude 
and uncertain method of calculation, it was scarcely possible to 
make them comprehend the exact day, that was meant. As to a 
prospective calculation of three or four days, it was a task far 
beyond their capacity, for, with their total ignorance of the 
division of time into days, hours, minutes, and seconds, and on 
the other hand, their seniks being an indefinite period, it became 
a difficult task to make them comprehend the exact time, when 
the expedition was to set out. This was the excuse given by one 
