Esquimaux Indians

• Format: Manuscript
• Language: English
• Published: 1978
• Subjects: English language > Dialects > Newfoundland and Labrador; eskimo*; esquimaux; Greenland; greenlander*; Newfoundland; samojed*; Lapland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/elrcdne/id/23344

eskimo n Of the ESQUIMAUX The ESQUIMAUX Indians, inhabiting the sea- coast of the northern part of LABRADORE, are indisputably from GREENLAND. They are a very deep tawney, or rather of a pale copper-coloured complexion. Considered altogether, they are infe- rior in size to the generality of Europeans; and but a few among them are of good stature. They bear a very near resemblance to the LAPLANDERS, both in their persons and customs. It is not insinuated that they are a Lapland colony; but it is very proba- ble, they came originally from Greenland. They have beards, so have the Greenlanders, and indeed so have the inhabitants of Lapland: whereas the Iroquois, the Hurons, The Escopics, and the Mountaineers their neighbours, have hair no where except on the head. It is true this is no proof. The Samojedes are no more hairy than the nations we have just mentioned; but [reverse] but who will believe that any part of the new world was peopled from Samojeda? All we know is, that the great Author of Nature has been pleased to di- versify the human species upon every continent. These Indians, in general, are not very disagreeably featured, though there are some among them who are extremely ugly. They are flat-visaged, and have short noses. Their hair is black and extremely coarse. Their hands and feet are remarkably small. The women load their heads with large strings of beads, which they fasten to the hair above the ears; and they are fond of a hoop of bright brass, which they wear as a coronet. Their dress is intirely of skins, except those who have trafficked for a little blanketing. It consists of a sort of hooded close shirt, breeches, stockings, and boots. They wear the hairy side towards them, according to the sea- sons; and between the dress of the different sexes there is no variety, except that the women wear monstrous large boots, and their upper garment is ornamented with a tail. In the boots they occa- sionally place their children, but the youngest is always carried at their back, in the hood of their ...