of small cannon, which disperses them like birds; for they are afraid of shot, and of men, for which reason they never light fire, lest the flame or smoke should discover them. They have formerly eaten several of our countrymen; but others whom they had attacked told me, that having repulsed and killed some of the savages, and in order to conceal the slaughter, for fear of exasperating the nation, having thrown the dead bodies into the sea, they did not sink, like those of other men, but floated on the surface, like cork. This peculiarity they attributed to their feeding on the fat and oil of fishes.
Several young Esquimaux girls have been caught and tamed in this town, of whom I have seen some die in our hospital. They were extremely well made, white, cleanly, and very good Christians, having nothing savage about them. They spoke good French; and though they seemed happy in the houses where they staid, yet they were but short-lived, like the other savages who reside with the French. They pay very dear for this kind of slaves here, on account of the scarcity of servants; but they get little use of them, as they very soon die.
