The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-15 00:00:00

LtTERAItY NOTICE.

The PRIVATE JOURNAL of Captain G. F. LYON, of
H. 111. S. HECLA, during the recent VOYAGE of DIS-
.. COVE ELY under Captain PARRY-6vo. pp. 468. .
(Continued from THE SUN of the Bth inst.)
Our opinion of the merits of this vefy entertaining Work has
already been expressed, and we now resume it for the purpose
of giving some further extracts. The Whole are highly amus-
ing, and the manners and customs of the Esquimaux, shut out
from all intercourse with the civilized world, axe very minutely
detailed. In this miserable state they appear happy and con-
tented with their lot. Captain LYON has been at great pains to
narrate the account, and we have no doubt with the utmost
fidelity.
" As we dined in one of the huts, the natives of course par.
" took of some of our food, which they approved very much ;
" but in no one instance did -they beg for any, though their
" own stock of provisions seemed but scanty, and, in fact, very
" few of the people took a full meal while we were with them.
" What they did cat was in many instances raw as boiled, and
" both food and utensils were so indescribably filthy and oily,
" that the stomachs of many of our party were quite turned. I,
"however, had fortunately served a kind of . apprenticeship to
" bad and unsavoury food, and therefore managed better—
" My friends the Arabs were frequently brought to my recol-
" lection, by the repeated and satisfactory eructations of both
" sexes. As almost every digestible substance is eaten by the
" Esquimaux, it can scarcely be supposed that their dogs were
" he very good case, and, in fact, the poor lean creatures
" prowled about the huts in a most dejected manner. The
" system of starvation seemed to have the effect of making these
" animals particularly docile at this period, which we were not
" sorry for, as they had most terrific tusks. To prevent them
" straying to any distance, it was customary to tie one of the
" fore-legs up to the neck, so that an attempt to run inune-
" diately threw the animal down. Some which appeared wild
" and shy were tethered by their sledge harness - to a stone or
" piece of iCe. The younger branches of the dog-family were
" well taken care of; and there were two or three litters with
" their mothers lying in the beds of their masters."
" In a compartment of one of the huts the entrance WAR half
" blocked up with snow, in order to confine a sick idiot boy,
" who had been left by his parents when going to the ships.—
" I observed the poor child, who was five or six years of age,
" busily occupied in devouring the contents of the lamp, taking
" indiscriminately oil, moss, blubber, and soot, and seasoning
" these delicacies by an occasional bite of a very dirty lump of
" snow. Whilst I was admiring the taste of the boy, he was
" suddenly seized with a severe epileptic fit, and before we
" could break down the door, had forced himself from between
" his deer-skin blankets, and fhllen , naked on the icy floor.
" After a very strong fit he gradually recovered, and from mere
" exhaustion fell asleep Some of the Esquimaux who were
" present turned the whole affair into ridicule, and said he had
" eaten too much ; but I soon found that the child's fatuity
" proceeded from a frequent recurrence of epilepsy."
" Our hungry visitors were no sooner fed, than the game of
" leap-frog was set on foot by our seamen. The Esquimaux
" who have no idea of jumping in this manner, afforded much
" amusement. The younger ones took such overleaps, as free"
quently to pitch upon their head, when, with great uncoil-
" cern and much good humour, they again returned to the
"game,
.althOugh the blows they received brought the water
" into their eyes. The general mirth was not less excited by
" the effects of a winch, at which one man easily mastered
" and drew towards him ten or twel7e others, who held by a
" rope, using all their strength, and grinning with exertion
"- and determination, until conquered, when they ell joined in
" their usual good-humoured laugh. Kettle, who was too old
" to join in these amusements, stood by with some other vete-
rans, and the whole party laughed until the tears ran down
" their cheeks. Before my old friend went away, he drank
" neatly two quarts of water at a draught, and I gave him
" some dog's flesh for his wife, which for security lie placed
" between leis inner boot and the naked calf of his dirty leg.
" To other ladies who remained at home, I sent a few. choice
" candle-ends by their husbands, a piece of civility for which
" I afterwards received the warmest thanks. r
" Two of our friends had their facet fantastically painted
" with water-colours, which afforded them much amusement,
" and they said that their wives would not know them again,
" but would imagine they were Kabloona women. (A pretty
" compliment to our fair ladies at home.) • To insure patience
" white the ornaments were applied by candle-light, we treated-
" each in his turn with a bite of the lower end, until our orna-
" ments and candle expired together.
" On the 16th I was rejoiced to find that the seal hunters had-
" been successful; blood, blubber, entrails, skins, and flesh lying
" sociably intermixed in savoury heaps. Abundant smoking
" messes were in preparation, and even the dogs looked happy as
" they uninterruptedly licked the faces of the children, who were
" covered with blood and grease from the chin to the eyes.
" Universal merriment prevailed, and such men and children
" as could bear more food stood lounging round the women,
" who sat sucking their fingers, and cooking as fast as pus-
" sible. While the messes were preparing, the children so-
" laced themselves by eating !melt parts of the raw uncleared en-
" trails as their young teeth could tear ; and those morsels which
" proved too tough were delivered over to their mothers, who
t " soon reduced them to a proper size and consistency for their
" tender ofFsprings.
" While witnessing these little intermediate repasts, I learnt
" a new, and certainly very effectual way of cleaning the
"hands of children, which is simply by introducing them,
" clenched, info the mouth of the mother, who, in _ a very
" short time, by the aesistance of her tongue, renders them
" quite as they should be.
" In my rambles on this day of plenty, I found, beyond a
" doubt, that the women do not eat with the men ; but wait-
" ing until they are first satisfied, then enjoy a feast by them-
" selves. In the mean time, however, the females who euper-
" intend the cooking; have the privilege .of licking the-gravy
" from the lumps of meat as they arc taken out, and before
" they are presented to their husbands. Beth sexes eat in the
" same manner, although not in equal proportion; the females
" very seldom, and the men very frequently stuffing until
" quite stupified. A lump of meat being given to the nearest
" person, he first sucks it all round, and then pushes as
" much as he can into his mouth, cutting it from the
" larger piece close to his lips, to the great danger of
." them and his nose. The meat -then passes round
" until consumed,- and the person before whom it stop-
" ped is entitled to the first bite of the next mor-
" sel. In this manner a meal continues a long time,
" as each eats, or rather bolts, several poundse and the pots are
" in consequence frequently replenished. In the intermediate
" time, the convivees suck their fingers, or indulge in a few
" lumps of deticaie raw blubber. The swallow of the Esqui
" maux are of such niarvelious capacity, that a piece of flesh
"'of the size of an orange very rarely receives half-a-dozen bites
" before it is bolted, and that without any apparent exertion.
" The rich soup of the meat is then handed round at the
" close of
,the repast, and each takes a sup in turn until it
" is finished, when the pot is passed to the good woman of the
" house, who licks it clean, and then prepares to make a mess
" for herself. . On all Occasions the children are stuffed almost
" to suilbeatipn. The meals being finished, every one scrapes
the grease, &c., from his face, into his mouth, and the fin-
" gers are then cleaned by picking.
' Returning on board;l passed seven wolves,Which, although
" it was, open day, were prowling near the huts as if on the
" watch for the dogs. Mrs. Kettic.i. who had brought me a
" pair of gloves, visited me with her husband ; and after they
" had sociably eaten a couple of candies and d little lip salve,
" were treated with a sight of come prints , of animals, by
" which 'means I obtained the names of several, as they in-
" stantly recognised those they had been accustomed to see.—
" My little black cat afforded them an unceasing fund of en-
" tertaiiiment, although a long time elapsed before they would
" venture -to touch him with their naked hands. W hen the
" animal 'jumped, over my arms, their admiration was ex-
" pressed by sloWly and iorcibly inhaling their breath, and
" quickly nodding. the head.. ...Some lavender water which
" I 'made ' the old woman smell to, - Caused her to sneeze
" as if she had taken- a large pinch of snuff, Aind she said the
" scent was ma-mait-pok (very bad.)"
" Young Tooeloo-ak, of the Winter Island tribe, arrived
" from eemityook; at which place he had lent his rather and.,
" mother, With Kettle, and several others. This young man
" Came to take possession of his young and handsome wife,.
" 111r1-tua ; for which no farther ceremony was requisite titan
" taking his seat by. her side the moment he entered the hut,..
" thus.establishing himself as lord and master. On the follow-
" ing day, the young couple paid Captain Parry a visit; and ,
" the bridegroom being an old favourite, was enriched by the
" present of a boarding pike and some useful household effects,
" while his fair lady was embellished with a profusion cf beads.
" and tinsel; both looked exceedingly sheepish, and had very
" little to say for themselves : the husband was about seventeen,
" andllie wife fifteen years of age."
" On the 'z'flth (Nov. 1822) several families arrived'at Igloo-
" lilt ; and on the 30th all came to see us. Amongst others
" was young lb-bi.kuk, who had been sent forward under the
" charge of her uncle (Kettle) to join her husband at this place:
"they were an admirably matched couple in point of appear-
ance, " being equally tig:ly and dirty. The husband was
,the
young Tooloowak, who bee so much distinguished himself
", in the little summer excursion which I had made over the
" hother ' me to I'2'e-1111g. This pair exhibited the same symptoms a,
tnnzmaise hoists as t
e newly-married couple ; and in
" both instances I abserved that the women were in a high state
cc of subjection to their youngh-tiihands.
" It-Komtnuck Caine to me in great distress, in consequence
" of a severe fit of lumbago which
afflicted him, and he car-
" neatly requested that his wife might
be permitted to wash his
• " baek with soap. This the lady performed under my instruc-

" dons, and I gave further directions that he should undergo 1
" a good scrubbing every morning as long as a large piece of
" soap which I gave should last. This, with the application ,
"of my musical snuff-box to his loins, a specific in all difficult
" cases, gave him great relief and having offered me his wife's
" boots as a fee, he set off to comfort -his old mother, who re-
" mained crying at borne until his return.
" Nothing of any interest occurred until the 13th Dec. when
" I accompanied Captain Parry to the village, where it was my
" intention, should Toolenial: assent, to remain during -the
" night, in order, if poisible, to learn some farther particulars
"of the Performance of the annatkoo. Our recc;)tion by my
" amarna" (adopted mother). " and the visit gave peculiar.
" satisfaction, as being considered the reconciliation of a little
" quarrel which Captain Parry had found it requisite to make
" with Toolemak, who was not now at home. He returned
" soon after Captain Parry had left me, in very high glee, and
" untying one of his boots, produced from it three ooloos, or
" women's knives, some wood, biscuit,-and pieces of tin, after
" which he set to work in propping a frozen walrus against the
" side of his hut in order Lo make inure room."
( To br continued.) .