The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-07 00:00:00

a hand organ and a musical snuff-box, which underwent very
close examination. The sketch of the bear which had been
killed during the voyage was shewn to him, when he uncovered
his arm, which had three very extensive wounds on it made by
one of these animals. Captain Lyon says the name of his
" new acquaintance was Nak-ka-khioo, 'Bladder,' but
" this was soon changed by our people to that of Kettle,' in
" consequence of my having given him a brass one.
The sailors soon discovered that they could chew tobacco,which
it was thought proper to stop. They all endeavoured to smoke, ,
but none of them except a poor old woman could drink grog,
and only in consequence of her having danced and sung with-
out intermission nearly two hours. Bread was given them and
well received, " as also bread dust and train oil, mixed up in
" a tin pot for one very hungry man, who scooped it up with
" the tip of his tongue." His family assisted him in finishing
this meal, " each taking a lick in turn," and they appeared.
to enjoy the repast with as much pleasure as an Alderman
would his turtle.
A long and minute account of their dwellings follows, for
which we have not room. Captain,Parry purchased at one of
the huts a lamp that was burning. " The woman who sold it
" instantly extinguished the light, and vigourously commenced
" cleaning the lamp, which contained as much soot as oil,
"by scraping it with her fingers, which with their load of
" sweets she conveyed rapidly to her mouth. The tongue
" finished the operation ; the lamp was licked perfectly
" clean, while in return it covered her face with soot, and caul.
" ed us all to laugh at her uncouth figure, in which she joined
" most heartily."
Captain Lyon visited Kettle's hut, whose wife presetatad him
with a piece of rein-deer's fat," which lie " found swath and
" good." There were several children, who " were as dirty
" as human beings could possibly be."—" One of them, a
" boy of at least four years of age, walked up to his mother, and
" asked for the breast, which she immediately presented to
.‘ him."
Tattooing is a prevailing custom among the Esquimaux,
which they call Kak-keen. We shall give Capt. Lyon's account
of this operation, which he underwent by the wife of Kettle :
" Having furnished her with a fine needle, she tore with her
" teeth a thread off a deer's sinew, and 'thus prepared the sew-
" ing apparatus ; she then, without the possibility of darken-
"' ing leer hands beyond the standard colour, passed her fingers
" under the stone pot, from whence she collected a quantity of
" soot ; with this, together with a little oil, and much saliva,
"she soon made a good mixture; and taking a small piece of
" whalebone well blackened, she then drew a variety of figures
" about my arm, differing, as I easily saw, from those with
" which she herself was marked ; and calling her housemates,
"they all enjoyed a good laugh at the figures, which perhaps
conveyed some meaning I could not fathom.
' " I had, however, only determined on a few stitches, so that
" her trouble was in some measure thrown away. She com-
" menced her work by blackening the thread with soot, and
" taking a pretty deep but short stitch in my skin, care-
"fully
pressing her thumb on the wound as the thread passed
through it, and beginning each stitch at the place where the
" last had ceased. My flesh being tough, she got on but
" slowly, and having broken one needle trying to force it
s, through; I thought fit, when she had completed forty stitches,
" or about- two inches, to allow her to desist: then rubbing the
part with oil. in order to staunch a little blood which appear-
!' ed, she finished the operation. I could now form some idea
" of the price paid by the Esquimaux females for their embel-
" lishments' which for a time occasions a slight inflammation
" and some degree of pain. The colour which the kakeen as-
" moues when the skin heals, is of the same light blue as we sea
on -the marked arms of seamen."
Proofs of intercourse by some means with Europeans were
discovered in nearly every family, for knives, tools, &c. two
large copper kettles and beads were met with ; some women's
knives had been mounted by Europeans, on which were the
names of " Wild, Sorby, and Potter," and several others had
initials stamped upon diem with Roman letters. The honesty
of these, poor beings was very conspicuous, for although Capt.
Lyon absented himself sometime from a hut in which he had
left many things, they were found on his return carefully cover-
ed up with a skin, and unmoved.
It is-quite impossible to follow Capt. Lyon through the very
.many and highly interesting details that he enters into relative
to these people ; our limits will not permit our doing so, a cir-
cumstance that we much regret. He has properly, as we con-.
ceive, divided his account under several heads ; and under that
of " luxuries," says-..." on entering the huts we every where
" saw abundant proofs of the recent capture of seals, blubber,
" fresh, blood, bones, and offal, lying in every direction." " A
largepot of boiled seal's blood and oil, which they sipped
"alternately, one mouthful each, until it was finished, with
far greater zest than European ladies take their tea."
Captain .Lyon entertained one of them, Ay-00-kitt, in his
cabin, and made him use a knife and fork, and wipe his mouth
previously to drinking. He adds, "as I enforced my instruc-
" tione by example, I afterwards washed my face and hands,
" making him do the same; during the operation I saw him
" cast many longing looks at the tempting piece of yellow
" soap which we were using, until at length his repeated
" ay-yaas of admiration.determined me on making him happy,
" and he devoured it with delight."
After this one of the tribe, about four feet ten inches high,
accompanied by his wife, paid Captain Lyon a visit in his cabin.
Of the latter he made a drawing, and in return for her permit-
ting him to do so, he presented them " with a couple of mould
" candles, of which" he says " in consequence of my respect
" for the, lady, the largest, a fine six to the pound, became her
" share. These dainties. were thankfully received, and when
" she had discussed the tallow, I took the wick from her mouth,
" lest her swallowing it also, as she fully intended doing, should
" disagree with her." -
About this time a scarcity of provisions began to be felt by
the Esquimaux; this was removed en the 16th, Captain Lyon
saying " he was rejoiced to find that the seal hunters had been
" successful; blood, blubber, entrails, skins, and flesh, lying
" sociably intermixed in savory heaps." At one of their re-
pasts the Captain says lie " was complimented with a fine piece
"of half-stewed seal's flesh, from which the kind donor, a
" most unsavory-looking old lady, with the most obliging
"politeness, first licked the gravy and dirt, and bitten it all
", round in order to ascertain the most tender 'part on which I
" should make the first attack."
On the Sunday all visitors were refused admittance to the
ships until after Divine Service had been performed. " The
"'gay appearance of the marines," the author observes, " such
" even in this climate is the attractive influence of a red coat,
" so delighted the ladies, that they all danced and shouted in
" an ecstacy of pleasure as each soldier passed before them."—
We know that the females in this country are equally delighted
with red coats, and many a fair damsel has strongly felt the
influence they possess.
One of the Esquimaux had some idea of drawing, and he
amused himself in sketching men animals, and boats. "In
" the animals there was one striking peculiarity, which con
" sisted in having both eyes on the same side of the head."
[To be concluded to-morrow.]