I had always entertained great
objection to taking any such individual from his home, on the
doubtful chance of benefiting himself, or of his doing any service
to the public as an interpreter. My scruples on this head had
hitherto been confined to the consideration due to the individual
himself, and to the relatives he leaves behind. In our present
case, however, not the smallest public advantage could be derived
from it; for it had long ago become evident that we should soon
know more of the Esquimaux language than any of them were likely
to learn of English in any reasonable period of time. I was
therefore far from desiring to receive from Toolooak an answer in
the affirmative, when I to-day plainly put the question to him,
whether he would go with me to _Kabloona noona_ (European
country). Never was a more decisive negative given than Toolooak
gave to this proposal. He eagerly repeated the word _na-o_ (no)
half a dozen times, and then told me that if he went away his
father would cry. This simple but irresistible appeal to paternal
affection, his decisive manner of making it, and the feelings by
which his reply was evidently dictated, were just what could have
been wished. No more could be necessary to convince those who saw
it, that these people may justly lay equal claim with ourselves to
these common feelings of our nature; and, having once satisfied
myself of this, I determined never again to excite in Toolooak's
mind another disagreeable sensation, by talking to him on this
subject.
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