-To Correfpondents. The Gentleman who fent us the copy of the Hymn inserted in the Magazine for March, is informed that the omiffion of the three lines he mentions was not owing to any inattention on our part: the copy was printed entire, which is fufficient to exculpate us from any charge of neglect. The reason, therefore, of the omission, must be entirely attributed to his own want of attention. In tranfcribing felect pieces for publication in the New-York Magazine, the Editors beg their Correspondents will do it with care, as they cannot hold themselves accountable for any mistake that may take place in fuch cases, when they do not deviate from the copy fent them. The following are the lines faid to be omitted: "Heaven has on earth no greater bliss in store, "Preserve her then, my God! on earth I ask NO MORE! } The piece on Titles fhall have a place in the Magazine for June. W. C. came too late for infertion this month-it shall have a place in our next. For the NEW-YORK MAGAZINE. Of the ESQUIMAUX INDIANS, at HUDSON'S BAY. T WITH A COPPERPLATE ENGRAVING. HESE people, from the whitenefs of their skins, their having beards, and differing in many refpects from the Indians generally found in other parts of America, are fuppofed to have defcended from Europeans; as there is not the leaft doubt that the Greenlanders did, from whom they vary very little. They are robuft and inclinable to be fat; their heads are large, and their faces are almoft perfectly round and very flat; their eyes are fmall and black, but very expreffive; their hair black and lank: although their limbs are generally well proportioned, their feet are extraordinary fmall. Their behaviour is cheerful and fprightly, but they seem to be very subtle, cunning, and deceitful; great flatterers, much addicted to pilfer from itrangers, eafily encouraged to a degree of boldness, but as eafily frighted. Their attachment to their own country is fo rooted that no change of circumstance can leffen it. An Efquimaux youth, at his own defire, once went to England with one of the Hudson's Bay Company's fhips, and refided fome time there before the season of return arrived: but his uneafinefs became alinoft infupportable; and its principal fource was the want of his accustomed food. Happening one day to find fome ran- Their affection for their children is fingularly great. An extraordinary inftance of this happened lately at York-Fort, on the weft fhore of Hudson's Bay :-Two fmall canoes paffing Hayes's River, got to the middle of it, when one of them funk, in which was an Indian man, his wife and child: the other canoe being fmall, and incapable of receiving more than one of the parents and the child, produced a very extraordinary contest between the man and his wife; not but that both of them were willing to devote themselves to fave the other, but the difficulty lay in determining which would be the greateft lofs to the child. The man ufed many arguments to prove it more reafonable that he should be drown. ed than the woman; but she alledged on the contrary, it was more for the advantage of the child that the fhould perifh, because, he, as a man, was better able to hunt, and, confequently, to provide for it. The little time there was ftill remaining, was spent in mutual expreffions of tenderness; the woman ftrongly re* commending, commending, as for the laft time, to her husband, the care of her child. This being done, they took leave in the water; the woman quitting the fide of the canoe, was drowned, and the man, with the child, got fafe on fhore. They are fometimes fubject to diforders in the breast, but to no contagious diseases whenever they find themselves in difpofed, they drink an infufion of the herb called izzeka pukka, the broth of fish, which they call fhaggamity, or elfe fweat them felves To do this they get a large round ftone, on which they make a fire, and keep it burning till the ftone becomes red-hot. Over this they make a fmall tent covered clofe on all fides, then go into it naked with a veffel fall of water. This they fprinkle on the ftone, which fills the tent with a copious fupply of moift warm vapour that very foon prodaces a strong perfpiration in the patient. When the ftone grows cool, the pores of the skin being ftill open, they come out of the tent, and inftantly plunge into the water; or if it is winter, roll themfelves in the fnow. This they look upon as a care for most of the maladies comanon in that country. For the cholic, and all difordeis of the bowels, they fwallow a great quantity of tobacco fmoke, by which they affirm is obtained great and fpeedy relief. They frequently become fnow blind in the fpring of the year; at which time a film grows over the pupil of the eye, and which thefe people are fo ingenious as to cut away with a fharp flint. To prevent this evil, they generally make ufe of what they call fnow eyes, which are bits of wood or ivory, neatly formed to cover the organs of fight, and tied at the back part of the head: in each protuberance are two flits of the fame length with the eyes, but narrow, through which they fee very diftinct ly, and without feeling any inconvenience. This invention not only prevents fnow-blindness, but strengthens the fight prodigiously, and becomes fo habitual, that when they would obferve any object at a great distance, they commonly look through them as we do through telescopes. One of their customs, no less deteftable than extraordinary, is that of ftrangling their parents when grown fo old as to be incapable of providing for themselves. This action falls to the lot of the children, and is required by the devoted wretch as an act of obedience. The manner of their difcharging this laft duty is thus: The grave of the old perfon being dug, he goes into it; and after having converfed and fmoked a pipe, or perhaps drank a dram or two with his children, he fignifies that he is ready; upon which two of the children put a thong about his neck, one ftanding on one fide of the grave and the other on the oppofite fide, they pull violently till he is ftrangled; they then cover him with earth, and over that they erect a kind of rough monument of ftones. As for fuch old perfons as have no children, they requeft this office from their friends, though in this laft cafe it is not always complied with. An Efquimaux, in travelling, confiders the meeting a grave as an omen of fome approaching misfortune; in order to avert which, he lays a ftone upon it,and haftens away. Their religious creed is far from being abftrufe. They acknowledge a being of infinite goodness, whom they ftile UKKEWMA; which, in their language, fignifies the great chief. They look upon him as the author of all the benefits they enjoy, and fpeak of him with reverence. They likewife fing a kind of hymns in his praife, in a grave, folemn tone, not altogether difagreeable. They likewife acknowledge another being, whom |