John Cartwright

From one of his voyages he brought home five Innuits of Labrador, whose arrival in eighteenth century London was more than a nine days' wonder. The life of the Innuits inspired half Grub Street to tales of the frozen lands, and doubtless even good Mr. Barlow's anecdotes of Esquimaux life and the social moral to be drawn from it came to Master Sandford and Master Merton at secondhand from Captain Cartwright. Like a good son of the house, Captain Cartwright first delighted the home at Marnham with his Innuits. In a little diary book in faded red morocco with silver clasps his sister Catherine tells the story of the Innuit invasion. Under the date of 16 April 1770 'my brother George left Marnham after breakfast to go upon his Labrador scheme.' On 13 December 1772 brother George landed at Gravesend from Cape Charles in Labrador, bringing with him five fur-clad visitors. These were Ittuiack, aged forty, and Econgoke his wife, aged twenty-four, with Ikkyana their daughter, whose years were two, Tooklawinia, aged nineteen, brother of Ittuiack, and Cauboic his wife, aged seventeen. On a never-to-be-forgotten 18 March 'my brother George came to Marnham with his five Indians in their proper habits, which are very curious and ingeniously form'd and ornamented with bead. All the Indians have bright black eyes and dark complexions. Cauboic is very handsome, has a regular face with an uncommon degree of sense, sweetness, sprightliness and sensibility in her countenance, and of ease and gentility in all her actions and notions.' The party stayed at Marnham until 9 April, when they departed 'with mutual regret.' The kindly spinster sister at home took the whole party to her heart, and although she came at the last to admit that the natures of Ittuiack and Tooklawinia were rude, and that Econgoke was something wanting in the esteemed quality of 'gentility,' her affection for the beautiful Cauboic never failed, and it is evident that only the constraints of genteel language keep her from describing brown baby Ikkyana as a duck. 'For Cauboic,' says Miss Catherine Cartwright, 'I conceived such a love and friendship as I am convinced neither time or absence can ever efface.' Two post-chaises carried Captain Cartwright and his friends to London, where the town seized upon them. King George received them at his Court of St. James's, and the sights of the town were at their feet. Five wondering Innuits walked with Captain Cartwright amongst the fiddlers and coloured lamps of Ranelagh, the crowd in its floured wigs and hooped petticoats pressing with giggling amazement upon these beings so strangely clad in deerskin coats and moccassins. They must have supped in one of the arbours on the famous Ranelagh punch and the transparent slices of ham, for they stayed until half past eleven at night, by which hour we may hope that Ikkyana was asleep in somebody's arms. On 4 May they embarked in the Thames on a ship named, after Captain George's aunt, the Lady Tyrconnell, and began coasting towards the west, whence bad news comes to Marnham to be recorded in the red leather diary with the silver clasps. The London crowd of the eighteenth century might not be mingled with without risk, and off Lymington or Weymouth the beautiful Cauboic sickened of a fever. Smallpox declared itself, and Econgoke was the next to take the disease. With putrid fever and small-pox aboard, the Lady Tyrconnett became foul as a plague pit, and her crew were fain to run for Plymouth, where 'Ikkyana, that sweetest of babes, resigned her innocent soul.' The baby was buried in the sand of 'that-neck of land which helps to form the harbour of Catwater. She was in her sealskin dress, wrapped up in a deerskin, and had all her cloaths, beads and ornaments, sewing implements and a knife and spoon inter'd with her.' After her death her father and mother lost hold on life. Econgoke died. Miss Cartwright, when the news came, 'wished her well, but could not love her.' Ittuiack died, and within