ESKIMOS. 



31 



interest and value, for they were if anything even older than 

 those at Hopedale, probably having been abandoned after the 

 battle between Eskimo and Indians, fought on the same island, 

 which has now become a tradition among the people. 



Five days were spent in this most interesting ethnological 

 work, and hard days they were, too, as well as interesting, for 

 the mosquitoes, black flies and midges were always with us ; 

 but on the other hand, the Eskimo interpreter was continually 

 describing some national custom which some find would suggest 

 to him, and very ingenious he proved to be in naming finds 

 which we were entirely ignorant of or unable to identify. 



The race as a whole is exceedingly ingenious, quick to learn, 

 handy with tools, and also ready at mastering musical instru- 

 ments. One of the best carpenters on the Labrador is an 

 Eskimo at Aillik, from whom we bought a kyak; and at Hope- 

 dale in the winter they have a very fair brass band. The art of 

 fine carving, however, seems to be dying out among them, and 

 now there is but one family, at Nain, who do anything of the 

 sort worthy the name of carving. Prof. Lee obtained several 

 very fine specimens for the Bowdoin cabinets, but as a rule it is 

 very high priced and rare. Most of it is taken to London by 

 the Moravian mission ship, and has found its way into English 

 and Continental museums. The figures of dogs, of Eskimos 

 themselves, as well as of kyaks and komatiks, seals, walrus, 

 arctic birds and the like are most exquisitely done. 



The mission itself deserves a brief description. It was 

 founded in 1782 and has been steadily maintained by the Mora- 

 vian society for the furtherance of the Gospel, and is now nearly 

 self-supporting. There are three missions of the society in 

 Labrador, the one at Nain being the chief and the residence of 

 the director, but Hopedale is very important as it is the place 

 where the debasing influence of the traders and fishermen is 

 most felt by the Eskimo, and the work of the missionaries con- 

 sequently made least welcome to them. However, they have 

 persevered, in the German fashion, and seem to have a firm hold 

 on the childlike people which the seductions of the traders 

 cannot shake off. 



