426 A M E 
generacy, nnlefs we mention as fuch the introduction of 
fpirituous liquors among them, a deep fenfe of their infe¬ 
riority in military (kill to the white people, and their 
chagrin and broken-heartednefs at the lofs of their lands, 
and being forced to give place to their fiippofed enemies. 
The third clafs of American Indians, viz. thofe who 
inhabit Efquimaux, Labrador, and the countries around, 
are much lefs known than either of the afore-mentioned 
dalles. Thofe who profefs to be belt acquainted with them 
fay, they differ in fize and fhape from the other American 
Indians, and refemble the Laplanders and Samoiedes of 
.Europe, from-whom it is conjectured they defcended. 
In the years 1771 and 1772, Mr. Hearne, an ingenious 
young gentleman, travelled many hundred miles into thefe 
dreary countries; and, in his journal, draws a plain and 
artlefs pidure of the favage modes of life, the fcanty means 
of fubfiftence, and the Angular wretchednefs in almoft 
every refpect, of the various tribes, who, without fixed 
habitations, pafs their lives in roving over dreary deferts 
and frozen lakes, of the extenlive tract of continent thro’ 
which he paffed. The following extracts from his Jour¬ 
nal will give the reader a better and more juft idea of 
thefe Indians, than has hitherto been furnifhed from any 
other fource : 
‘‘We arrived at the Copper-mine river on the 13th of 
July 1771, at about forty miles from its exit into the fea. 
On our arrival at the river, the Indians difpatched three 
men before, as fpies, to fee if any Efquimaux Indians were 
about the river; and, on the 13th of the fame month, as I 
was continuing my furvey, I met the fpies, who informed 
me there were five tents of Efquimaux on the well fide of 
the river, and, by their accounts of the diftance, I judged 
they were about twelve miles off. On receiving this news, 
no more attention was paid to my furvey, but their whole 
thought was engaged on planning the belt method of Heal¬ 
ing 0^1 them the enfuing night, and killing them while 
afleep. The better to complete their defign it was necef- 
fary to crofs the river, and, by the account of the fpies, 
no place was fo proper for that purpofe as where we were, 
it being' fine and fmooth, and at fome diftance from any 
catarad. Accordingly, after they had put their guns, 
targets, fpears, &c. in order, we were ferried over the 
river, the doing of which (as we had only three canoes) 
took up a conliderable time. It muft be obferved that, 
before we fet out on the weft fide, all the men painted 
tbefr targets, fome with the image of the fun, others with 
the moon, others with different kinds of birds and beads 
of prey, and fome had the images of fairies and other 
imaginary beings on them, which, according to their filly 
imaginations, are inhabitants of the different elements, as 
the earth, fea, air, &c. By a ftrid enquiry into the reafon 
of this fuperftition, I found that each man had the image 
of that being painted on his target, which he relied moft 
on for fuccefs in the intended battle with the Efquimaux: 
and fome were contented with a fingle reprefentation, 
whilft others, doubtful, I fuppofe, of the power of any 
finale being, would have their targets covered to the very 
margin with hieroglyphics, quite unintelligible. 
“ This piece of fuperftition being completed, we began 
to advance towards the tents of the Efquimaux, always 
walking in low grounds, and being very careful how we 
croffed°any hills, for fear of being feen by the inhabitants. 
The number of my gang being fo far fuperior to the five 
tents of Efquimaux, and the warlike manner in which 
they were equipped, in proportion to what might be ex¬ 
pended of the poor Efquimaux, rendered a total maffacre 
Inevitable, unlefs kind Providence fhould work a miracle 
for their prefervation. The land was fo fituated that we 
walked under cover of the hills till we came within 200 
yards of their tents, where the Indians that were with me 
lay fome time in ambuftn, watching the motions of the 
Efquimaux. The Indians advifed me to day here till the 
fto-ht was over, with which I would by no means comply, 
for I thought, when the Efquimaux were furprifed, they 
would -fly every Way for refuge, and if they found me 
RICA. 
alone, not knowing me from an enemy, they would lay 
violent hands on me when there was none to aflift. I 
therefore determined to accompany them, alfuring them 
at the fame time that I would have no hand in the murder 
unlefs I found it neceffary for my own fafety. They feem- 
ed highly pleafed with my propofal, and direclly fixed a 
fpear and bayonet for me, but I had no target. By the 
time this was all fettled it was near one o’clock in the 
morning, when, finding all the Efquimaux afleep in their 
tents, they ran on them without being difcovered, until 
they came clofe to their very doors. They then began the 
cruel maffacre, while 1 flood neuter in the rear, and in a 
few feconds a fcene truly fhocking prefented itfelf to my 
view. For, as the poor unhappy victims were furprifed in 
the midft of their deep, they had neither power nor time 
to make any refiftance, but men, women, and children, ran 
out of their tents quite naked. But, alas! where could they 
fly for (belter! They every foul fell a facrifice to Indian 
barbarity, in all near thirty. The flirieks and groans of 
the poor expiring fouls were truly horrible, and this was 
much increafed by the fight of one poor girl (about eigh¬ 
teen years old) whom they killed fo near to me, that, wherr 
the firft fpear was (truck into her, (he fell down and twilled 
about my feet and legs, and it was with much difficulty I 
difengaged myfelf from her dying grafps. As the In¬ 
dians purfued her, I folicited for her life ; but fo far was 
it from being granted, that 1 was not fully allured of my 
own being in entire fafety for offering to fpeak in her be¬ 
half. When I begged her life, the two fellows that fol¬ 
lowed her made no reply, till they had both their fpears 
through her fixed into the ground: they then both looked 
me fternly in the face, and began to upbraid me, by afking 
if 1 wanted an Efquimaux wife; at the fame time paying 
no regard to the loud fhrieks of the poor girl, who was 
twining round the fpears like an eel. Indeed I was obli¬ 
ged at laft to defire that they would be more expeditious 
in difpatching her out of her mifery, left otherwife I 
fhould be obliged out of pity to aflift in performing that 
friendly office. The brutifh manner in which they ufed 
the bodies, which they had deprived of life, is too fhock¬ 
ing, and would be too indecent to defcribe ; and the terror 
of mind I was in from fuch a fituationis fo much eafier to 
be conceived than defcribed, that I (hall not attempt it. 
When they had completed this moft inhuman murder, we 
obferved feven more tents on the oppofite fide of the ri¬ 
ver. The Indians of thefe tents were foon in great con- 
fufion, but did not offer to make their efcape. The In¬ 
dians who were with me fired many (hot at them acrofs the 
river, but the poor Efquimaux werefo unacquainted with 
the nature of guns, that when the bullets ftruck the rocks 
they ran in great bodies to fee what was fent them, and 
feemed curious in examining the pieces of lead which they 
found flatted on the rocks, till at laft one man was (hot 
through the leg, after which they embarked in their canoes, 
with their wives and children, and paddled to a ftioal in 
the river. When my Indians had made all their obferva- 
tions on the bodies, as above-mentioned, and had plun¬ 
dered their tents of all their copper-work (which they~and 
the Copper Indians ufed inftead of iron), they affembled 
at the top of an high hill, Handing in a circle with their 
fpears ere£t in the air, and gave fhouts of victory, calling 
Tima! Tima! by way of derifion to the furviving Efqui¬ 
maux who were (landing on the flioal. We then went up 
the river about half a mile, to the place where our canoes 
and baggage were, with an intent to crofs over and plun¬ 
der the other feven tents. It taking up a confiderable 
time to get all acrofs the river, as we had only three ca¬ 
noes, and being entirely under cover of the rocks, the 
poor Efquimaux, whom we left on the flioal, thought we 
were gone about our own bufinefs, and had returned to 
their tents again. And the land was fo fituated on the 
eaft fide, that the Indians went under cover of the hills 
until they were within a hundred yards of their tents, 
where they faw the Efquimaux bufy in tying up their 
bundles. They ran on them again with great fury; but, 
having 
