CHARACTER. 513 



evidence in the ancient tumuli of northern and western 

 Europe. 



In character the Esquimaux are a quiet, peaceable people. 

 Those observed by Ross, in Baffin's Bay, " could not be made 

 to understand what was meant by war, nor had they any war- 

 like weapons."* Like other savages, they resemble children 

 in a great many respects. They are such bad arithmeticians 

 that the " enumeration of ten is a labour, and of fifteen an 

 impossibility with many of them."-f- Dr. Eae, whose partiality 

 for the Esquimaux is well known, assures us that if a man is 

 asked the number of his children, he is generally much puzzled. 

 After counting some time on his fingers, he will probably 

 consult his wife, and the two often differ, even though they 

 may not have more than four or five.;]; 



Amongst the Esquimaux both polygamy and polyandry 

 appear to occur. A strong or skilful man has often more than 

 one wife, a beautiful or clever woman in some cases more 

 than one husband. Again, the temporary loan of a wife is 

 considered a mark of peculiar friendship ; in which, however, 

 the advantage is not all on one side, as a large family, far 

 from being any incumbrance, is among the Esquimaux a great 

 advantage. 1 1 Apart, moreover, from these recognized customs, 

 it does not appear that the Esquimaux set any very high 

 value on the virtue of chastity. 



They are excessively dirty. Considering the difficulty in 

 obtaining enough water even to drink during the greater part 

 of the year, we cannot, perhaps, wonder that they never dream 

 of washing. Their word for dirt, eberk, conveys no idea of 

 anything disagreeable or offensive; 11 but, in justice to them, 

 we must remember that the extreme cold, by preventing 



* 1. c. p. 186. Ross, 1. c. p. 273. 



f Parry, 1. c. p. 251. || Ib. 1. c. p. 515. 



t See, for a curious instance of IT Kane, Arctic Explorations, 



this, Graah, 1. c. p. 131. vol. ii. p. 116. 



2 L 



