Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-11

WIVES utsu b't Notwithstanding this, the,
appeared To br perfectly contcntea, nav. ever
happy. Their dresses were made entirely n
skins, chiefly those ofthe reindeer
The Iapis-oilaris is originally so SOFT that i
may ne cut into form ith knife and wber
II Is not is he found an extraordinary substi-
iu'e - manufactured into pots & pans Thisis ;
Cement composed of dogs hair, seals blood
ana particular clay, hich snon brcomes a.
marc as stone. and hears tine effects both OF
OIL and fire below, and moisture and stewinp
| abnve
In the brsinning of their intercourse, the
EsquimauX were sonew hat reserved, and shy
"i communicating their opinions but as their
reserve wore off, they divulged IA number OF
Interesting particulars. The women. especi-
ally, were less secret than the men. who five
may mere state by the by) had no hesitation
Va barterIng their wives ard daughters with
the sailors, at irst for so poor bride as a nail
or Two or three beads, aud at las; for tin. price
oi paltry k,.ife.
Inese females are not, IL is true the most
'oVeiy objects in nature. Their features are
o'sagreeabe. and they have long and harsh.
nut exceedingly black hair. We have been
SHOWN map drawn by one of them. "a re-
'narkahie instance of intelIigence,) in which
sue represents two islands Ia the north of the
second winters position of the ships. and a.
'hers IN different directions, giving rather So
n"rous names To them all The nearest on
me north lsse,"ral days journey across, and
the roaming OF the Esqumaux tribes is confn-
ed To these islands, as they never venture IN
on The continent Every family has sledse.
and generally five or six dogs, with which
'hey travel with great ease and hunt
Ihey say That their race originally sprung
from benlticent female Spirit and thai
from another wicked female Spirit are descend
ed 'he other three creatures who inhabit The
earth, namely, the Hknli or Indians. the CaMu-
n@,'or Europeans s. (after hong hesitation be-
tore they would express i;) the DORIS which
they drive The Ilkali they abhor and speak
oIas Hiurderers, who never spare their tribes
| vi Inc Cablunr they had only heard by re
| port, never having seen European Till they
encountered those in the Fury and HecIa =
! nut u is clear from their chasing them with
the Indians and Dogs that they have no very
exalted idea of their virtues.
WIN Their own appellaton Of Esquimanx
tney are not acquitted, but call themselves
fn'tee. The other name is understood 10 be
a fer.l of r"proach, meaning Eaters of raw
flesh"
From the above it appears that thev enter
lam belief in ccrtai4 spirits or superior be-
'hss hu, Their notions concerning them are
extremely rude amt vague. Thus was dis
prayed by The Angr&oi. or Cnnjuror. of ',hom
we have spoken. This great man was. after
much entreaiy, prevailed ;pnn 10 cxhih; his
supernatural powers in thu Captain'~ cabin nf
one ut The ships. He WAS ncconranied nv
MS "i'e, aud hrgan his operations hy having
every glimpse al external light c;,relu,ly OK
cina'd sun the fire emitted a giimn~rin,e
ana Tins was covered with Il thick mat: So
mat at length all was utter darkness Thu.
Angekok then stripped himself naked. and
lay down upon the floor, and pretended that
ne was going To the lower regions where the
spirits dwell. His lamentations consisted ot
herdIy aIuculate sounds, not appearing Ia
/ nave any meaning attached io them bur Ia b..
me 'nut'ernS and whining of strange s,u,
bIPs He also practised kind of vcnirllo-
q'ism and modulated his voice su as To give
IL the effect of neafness and greater distance
10 tif: depths 10 which he wishrd it TO he he.
Iie'rd he had descended. This farce lasted
about twenty minutes; and on The rr-admission
oil hSfi, The actor gave an account of his adj.
ventures, and what the spirits had told him.
AS pro"f of the truth Of his facts, and fhc
reality OF his cnlloquies, he produced several
stripes oi fur which one of the spirits had C,s
tened on the back of his ski,,-cnat since he
went d0wn-which, indeed. his wife had been
bus'iy stitching on dnring the dark perfor-
nance. Yet, ny such fables aud impostures
he maintained his sway over his ignorant
counsrymen, who implicitly credited his in
'ehiicnS and powers. The latter were consr-
! qnent'y invoked upon all important occasions.
mus, ior example, when they became scarce.
or rather when The evil genius took ;iway from
the waters and the earth Ia her caverns II, =
hehiil, The animals witch constitute the prIr-
cipal iood OF The Enuee, our Apgekok was
| employed To bring them back again. This lie
accomplished, agreedbiy TO his own story. nv
me following means. He called to his assjs-
lance T@rngak, hI- familiar aud ffirndIy spi-
ri'' IN company with WHOM he nmrpp,rd ia
tie realms below, tO conIbat with The Evil
Genius. With this aid, and by his nwn nd
dress, he yanquished the enemy. and forced
heT to submit to his DEGREES. lie then ciu on
me lower joints of hrr four fingers, and i'm
'n'oIa'ely The bears were released, and found
/ 'ne'r way 10 the upper regions. His nrxi opc-
raii"n was To cut oil the second Joints, br
winch the seals were liberated. The pxcision
"i me upper joints performed like service
lor Inc wairuses: and, finally, by ampu,ating
the band. the whales were freed To e,isil The
I SHORES 90 The Esquimauy. 10 suhstaniiafr
| me rum OF tbs great, this graod cx',n', the
/ n'ondy KNIFE, with which the deed had ieen
donr,Is produced. and ;he reel sr;, .nncr The
bears, seals, wairtlsscs, and whales. inGil!iblv
follows.
40 immense value is set upon the fesimo-
mes oi snpern"iurai iotnacy: tbus Die An
grkok declared tji1; ir ,vnnld uni ,-yrhape-
the spIds gifts, we of fn.. stii9rs nr far. for
any inlng that could he offered fn him: and
u was VIII much difficulty that Cap. Parry
u,d prevail upon him 10 barter nfa. f,~ sn,nr
h'&hiy coveted article; nor would be- part
With any nnre.
tfom 'he leugth of tine duing which tbr
na'I'es we're daily wHh tbrn,. n,lr poouI,
were enabled To pick rp rather 8 copian< 80
cae"ilry of their language Snmr of Nv,