"The characteristic features of the Esquimaux," says Admiral Beechey,
"are large fat round faces, high cheek-bones, small hazel eyes,
eyebrows slanting like the Chinese, and wide mouths." They are
generally under five feet high, and have brown complexions. Beechey,
in his Narrative of a Voyage to Behring's Strait, &c., in H.M.S.
"Blossom," gave a curious and particular description of the habits and
customs of the Esquimaux, their wretched hovels, or "yourts,"
snow-dwellings, and underground huts, and the general want of
cleanliness in their persons and dwellings.
Speaking of a tribe which he visited, he says, "We found them very
honest, extremely good-natured and friendly. Their tents were
constructed of skins, loosely stretched over a few spars of
drift-wood, and were neither wind nor water tight. The tents were, as
usual, filthy, but suitable to the taste of their inhabitants, who no
doubt saw nothing in them that was revolting. The natives testified
much pleasure at our visit, and placed before us several dishes,
amongst which were two of their choicest,--the entrails of a fine
seal, and a bowl of coagulated blood. But desirous as we were to
oblige them, there was not one of our party that could be induced to
partake of their hospitality. Seeing our reluctance, they tried us
with another dish, consisting of the raw flesh of the narwhal, nicely
cut into lumps, with an equal distribution of black and white fat, but
they were not more successful here than at first."