being, except in the color of my hair and eyes. The former, they said, was like the stained hair of a buffalo's tail; and the latter, being light, were like those of a gull. The whiteness of my skin, also, was in their opinion no ornament, as they said it resembled meat which had been sodden in water till all the blood was extracted. On the whole, I was viewed as so great a curiosity in this part of the world, that, during my stay there, whenever I combed my head, some or other of them never failed to ask for the hairs that came off, which they carefully wrapped up, saying, ‘When I see you again you shall again see your hair!’ ”
The author adds the following sketch of the character
and religion of his guide to the Copper River, the Indian
chief Matonabbee, who, his father dying when he was
young, lived for many years with, and was educated after
a fashion by, Governor Norton, of the Hudson Bay service,
at Prince of Wales's Fort: —
“It was during this period that he gained a knowledge of the Christian faith; and he always declared that it was too deep and intricate for his comprehension. Though he was a perfect bigot with respect to the arts and tricks of Indian jugglers, yet he could by no means be impressed with a belief of any part of our religion, nor of the religion of the Southern Indians, who have as firm a belief in a future state as any people under the sun. He had so much natural good sense and liberality of sentiment, however, as not to think that he had a right to ridicule any particular sect on account of their religious opinions. On the contrary, he declared that he held them all equally in esteem, but was determined, as he came into the world, so he would go out of it, without professing any religion at all. Notwithstanding his aversion from religion, I have met with few Christians who possessed more good moral qualities, or fewer bad ones. It is impossible for any man to have been more punctual in the performance of a promise than he was: his scrupulous adherence to truth and honesty would have done honor to the most enlightened and devout Christian, while his benevolence and universal humanity to all the human race, according to his abilities and manner of life, could not be exceeded by the most illustrious personage now on record.”[1]
- ↑ P. 349-51.
