flesh of the seal is more esteemed but less used, for all do not excel in seal catching, and the flesh of the rein-deer is still more rare. Though these supplies may be considered abundant, yet there are circumstances that sometimes interrupt them, and at these times many of the inhabitants die by famine. Even when some have abundance, others are suffering from want, for few savages provide for the sick and aged.

The flesh is sometimes eaten raw, but the fish is always cooked in a large stone vessel suspended over the lamp. The lamps, which are open, are devised for this purpose, and have sometimes a wick running round the whole circumference. They are fed from a piece of blubber suspended over it, from which there is a constant dripping. There are no set times for eating, but each one eats when he is hungry, and this brings a more frequent recurrence of eating than is common in Europe. This abundance of oily animal food gives the Greenlanders a great degree of obesity, and renders them so plethoric that they often bleed at the nose. The children being unable to support as well as adults this manner of life, are not weaned till they are three or four years of age, though motherless infants are destroyed.

Unlike most savages, the Greenlanders are not fond of tobacco, which in its various forms is so much used in Iceland. Having no production from which they can make an intoxicating liquor they have escaped one great Scourge of an uncultivated people. In other climates few nations are so rude as to have no knowledge of producing the means of intoxication, but in Greenland the earth that denies food, denies also the materials for distillation. The inhabitants formerly would not taste ardent spirits, but of late those in the vicinity of factories have contracted a taste for what they used well to call the 'waters of madness.'

7. MANNERS, CUSTOMS, &c. In the manners of savage life there is little to interest us; a description of them is generally but a picture of violence, ignorance, superstition and cruelty.

In uncivilized countries there are few artificial distinctions, but man is there honored only in proportion to his usefulness to the community. In Greenland, therefore, to be expert in killing the seal, walrus and whale, is to have the best title to respect; and to be inexpert in these pursuits is to be despised. The pursuit of sea animals is in Greenland a service of toil and danger. The hunter in his frail bark must fear no tempest. His light and frail boat passes over the wave or underneath it. If he is overturned so that his bead is downwards and his boat above him, a stroke of his paddle recovers his place, and he is again seen like a bird skimming the waters. If he break or lose his paddle, there is no hope for him. A crowd of idlers may see his peril from the shore, may have their boats at hand, ready to follow the slightest trace of a whale, yet unless there were some relationship, or other circumstance stronger than general humanity, not one of them would move to rescue a drowning man.

The Greenlanders indemnify themselves for their toils at sea by taking their ease on shore; where all the labors, and even those of bringing the huge stones for their dwellings, are performed by females. The lot of the females is hard; degraded to the rank of slaves, they are not permitted even to eat in the company of men. In such a state of society marriage is hardly ever a contract made by the consent of both parties. The marriages are made with little ceremony and the courtships are very summary. lover, after an understanding with the parents, sends or goes for his bride, and resistance is on her part of little avail; indeed a certain degree of it has grown into a custom, for it is thought discreditable in a woman to be lightly or willingly won. Before marriage the females are said to conduct themselves

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in a more moral way than after, and there is little evil that can be justly said of them while they are single.

There are few divorces where there are children; though this depends upon the will of the husband, whose authority is unlimited. He may beat his wife without reproach, but would subject himself to much animadversion were he to strike a female domestic-for the wife to strike one is unpardonable.

Bad as is the state of wives, it is yet enviable compared with the condition of widows. A widow has no friend; every door is closed upon her, and her relations that come to condole with her rob her of all she has. If she has the greater misfortune to be deemed a witch, she holds her life and her property by a tenure equally frail. Any one who fancies that he is injured by her in health or property, may unite the powers of judge and executioner, and take the life of the reputed witch. Yet the Angékuts or conjurers are held in veneration.

At funerals it is common to throw out the goods of the deceased, and for the women to be dishevelled and clothed in their poorest attire. The men sometimes gash themselves, to express or represent grief. The women lament and howl over the dead body, which after these observances is taken from the tent or hut by a private outlet, and buried under a heap of stones. The spear, boat, &c. of the deceased are placed near the grave. The rites of sepulture are however seldom paid to one who had no friends.

There are no people so poor and miserable that they have not a national pride, and it is common with many tribes of savages to designate themselves by a word signifying men, intending thereby their superiority over the other races of mankind.

It even seems that a man is the more closely bound to his own country less it is a subject for envy. the That the sentiment of patriotism strongest in countries the least delightful, may appear from the few Greenthe landers who have been forcibly removed from their home.

Two of them in Denmark who had been there for some time, recovered their own boats, that could contain but one person, and put to sea to return to their country; a storm drove them back after they had gone many leagues. They made afterwards a similar effort, and were pursued; one was retaken, the other perished. Another Greenlander jumped from the ship that was carrying him away, in the vain attempt to reach Greenland by swimming. Of the first mentioned, one would shed tears when he beheld a child at the breast: it is probable that it reminded him of the situation of his own family.

The Greenlanders are a peaceful race, though they are revengeful, and carry for a long time the remembrance of a wilful injury. erable degree social and hospitable; and so little addicted to railing or calThey are to a considumny that there is hardly a term of reproach in the language.

8. RELIGION. The Greenlanders have some obscure conceptions of a fu ture state, and believe in the supernatural powers of their angekuts or jugglers. They wear amulets to defend them from disease and misfortune. There is in Greenland a mission or two, one of which is a Moravian, but the success has not been general or very encouraging. It is said however to be very difficult to make the natives conceive of invisible things, or to elevate their minds above the objects of the senses.

9. AMUSEMENTS. The Greenlanders have two games of ball-one resembling our foot-ball, and the other is a struggle between two parties for the possession of the ball. They have also some feats of strength, partic ularly of grappling, or hooking the fingers together and pulling in that way. They also strike each other with the hand alternately on the back, and this is continued with much severity, till one party yields to the other. The wo men sometimes dance in a circle to the sound of a drum, and to singing.

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The dances of the men are rather matches for grinning and grimaces, in which the one tries to outdo the other in making hideous faces and assuming grotesque attitudes. The great season for rejoicing is on the return of the sun, and the sun feasts are held by all; at these the viands of the country are furnished in great profusion.

An amusement of a more pastoral kind is a singing match, to which one Greenlander invites or challenges another. The friends on both sides assemble and the challenger endeavors to render his adversary ridiculous; he retorts, and the friends on each side applaud their favorite. This struggle is continued till one party is exhausted, and the victory is supposed to belong to him who has the last word. They are familiar with the use of irony, which they are obliged to use from the poverty of the language in reproachful words. These singing matches are said to be managed with much ability and to abound in satire.

10. GOVERNMENT. There are no laws, no magistracy, no civil polity. Every thing is governed by custom, and no man has authority over another except in his own family, and there the children are never chastised. Yet there is no disorder or turbulence, and in the main the peace of society is as well preserved in Greenland, without any rule of political conduct but custom, as in many countries highly civilized and with a numerous police.

11. ANIMALS. The Musk Or inhabits the barren lands of North America, lying to the northward of 60°. He is found west of the Rocky Mountains, and on the islands as far north as Melville Island. He also frequents the northern shore of Hudson's Bay. The country inhabited by the musk ox is mostly rocky and destitute of wood, except on the banks of large rivers, which are generally more or less thickly clothed with wood. Their food is similar to that of the caribou; grass at one season, and lichens at the other. When the animal is fat, its flesh is well tasted, and resembles that of the caribou, except that at times it is highly flavored with musk. The wool resembles that of the bison, and would no doubt be highly useful if it could be procured in sufficient quantity. The musk ox is much hunted by the Esquimaux and Indian tribes.

The White or Polar Bear is found in all the northern parts of America, Europe and Asia; and it is found in America as far south as Labrador and

Hudson's Bay. His principal residence is on fields of ice, with which he frequently floats a great distance from the land. These creatures feed principally on animal substances, and as they swim and dive well, they hunt seals and other marine animals with great success. They feed likewise on land animals, birds and eggs, nor do they disdain to prey on carrion, or in the absence of food, to seek the shore in quest of berries and roots. They scent their prey from a great distance. Captain Lyon affirms that they not only swim with rapidity, but are capable of making long springs in the water. Their pace on land has been described as a kind of shuffle, as quick as the sharp gallop of a horse.' They are not known to travel far inland. The white bear has prodigious strength, and he often attacks the sailors who visit the arctic seas.

Whales. The Great Whale is said to be found in Baffin's and Hudson's Bay, though it is uncertain whether it is precisely the same kind as that which frequents the coast of Greenland. Its sense of hearing is very strong, and it seems also to be very sharp sighted. Its food is a small black insect, about the size of a bean, which floats in clusters on the tops of the water. Its flesh is eaten by the Greenlanders, who consider the oil a great delicacy. The Cachalot, or Spermaceti Whale is not so large as the

far more valuable, as both These animals are often seen

Greenland whale, and yields less oil, but it is spermaceti and ambergris are obtained from it. in herds of two hundred; and when attacked by men in boats, ten or twelve

are sometimes killed. The Small-eyed or 'Black-headed Spermaceti Whale is one of the most formidable monsters of the deep. It is more than fifty feet in length, and is uncommonly active. The Narwhal or Sea Unicorn is provided with a most formidable weapon on the left side of the jaw.

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is perfectly straight, and as thick as the small of a man's leg; it is whiter, and harder than ivory. This whale, however, is perfectly peaceful and harmless, and is generally seen in herds. The Greenland whale fishery has much declined of late, the fisherman having been more successful in the southern Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific.

Seals. The Common Seal frequents the sea coast perhaps throughout the world, but is most numerous in high northern latitudes, and is of the greatest use to the Esquimaux and other inhabitants of those frigid regions, furnishing them with all the necessaries of life. It feeds on fish, crabs and birds. These creatures are taken in immense numbers by the Esquimaux and by sealers who go out for the purpose. The Hooded Seal is found on the shores of Greenland, Davis' Straits, and sometimes of Newfoundland. It is distinguished by a singular appendage which it has on the head, formed by an extension of the skin, and elevated or depressed at the pleasure of the animal. It is not determined of what use this hood may be. The Great Seal resembles the common seal in habits and general appearance, but may be distinguished from it by its great size and large beard-like whiskers. It is very timid and watchful, and difficult of approach. The Harp Seal frequents deep bays, and the shores of Newfoundland. It is seen in large herds, and is very frolicsome. It yields a greater proportion of pure oil than is obtained from any other seal. The Esquimaux make great use of its skin. The Fetid Seal frequents fixed ice, and never relinquishes its old haunts. It is very solitary, and not at all timid. The Ursine Seal, is found upon the shores of the isl ands between America and Kamschatka in vast herds. They are very indolent and seldom move from their station on land, but they swim with great rapidity, and remain under water for a great length of time. The sea otter is found on northern shores, and is abundant on the western side of the continent. The bays and inlets of the polar regions are the resort of multitudes of sea fowl in summer.

1. SITUATION AND EXTENT. Iceland is situated on the verge of the polar circle, between 63° 24′ and 66° 30′ N. lat., and between 13° 15' and 24° 40 W. lon. Its length is 300 and its breadth nearly 150 miles; and it has a superficial area of 40,500 square miles.

tions.

2. MOUNTAINS. This island is celebrated for its volcanoes, and its mountains of ice. Mt. Hecla is in the southern part, a few miles distant from the coast, and is about 5,000 feet in height. It is neither the most elevated nor the most picturesque of the Icelandic mountains, but its situation renders it conspicuous, and it has become famous by its repeated and tremendous erupThe earliest eruption on record was in 1004, since which there have been about twenty. More than 60 years have elapsed since the last. The summit of Hecla is divided into three peaks, the middle of which is the highest. The craters form vast hollows on the sides of these peaks. The mountain itself consists for the most part of sand and slags; the lava being confined to the lower regions, and forming an immensely rugged and vitrified wall around