Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 2Parry, William Edward, Sir
History
Three Voyages for the Discovery of a Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole, Volume 2
Parry, William Edward, Sir
Arctic regions; Northwest Passage; Parry, William Edward, Sir, 1790-1855
The different families appear always to live on good terms with each
other, though each preserves its own habitation and property as
distinct and independent as any housekeeper in England. The persons
living under one roof, who are generally closely related, maintain a
degree of harmony among themselves which is scarcely ever disturbed. The
more turbulent passions which, when unrestrained by religious principle,
or unchecked by the dread of human punishment, usually create so much
havoc in the world, seem to be very seldom excited in the breasts of
these people, which renders personal violence or immoderate anger
extremely rare among them; and one may sit in a hut for a whole day, and
never observe an angry word or look, except in driving out the dogs. If
they take an offence, it is more common for them to show it by the more
quiet method of sulkiness, and this they now and then tried as a matter
of experiment with us. Okotook, who was often in this humour, once
displayed it to some of our gentlemen in his own hut, by turning his
back and frequently repeating the expression "good-by," as a broad hint
to them to go away. Toolooak was also a little given to this mood, but
never retained it long, and there was no malice mixed with his
displeasure. One evening that he slept on board the Fury, he either
offended Mr. Skeoch, or thought that he had done so, by this kind of
humour; at all events, they parted for the night without any formal
reconciliation. The next morning Mr. Skeoch was awakened at an unusually
early hour, by Toolooak's entering his cabin and taking hold of his hand
to shake it, by way of making up the supposed quarrel. On a disposition
thus naturally charitable, what might not Christian education and
Christian principles effect? Where a joke is evidently intended, I
never knew people more ready to join in it than these are. If ridiculed
for any particularity of manner, figure, or countenance, they are sure
not to be long behind-hand in returning it, and that very often with
interest. If we were the aggressors in this way, some ironical
observation respecting the _Kabloonas_ was frequently the consequence;
and no small portion of wit as well as irony was at times mixed with
their raillery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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