CHAPTER XXII. 



LIFE AMONG THE ESKIMOS. 



Out of all the disappointments, privations and successes of polar explora- 

 tion has come one great result that, whatever may be said of the value to man- 

 kind of scientific discovery, will always be of real human interest. This is the 

 study of the Eskimos, the native: Df the frozen zone. Had man never sought 

 to reach the north pole these people, so primitive in many ways, might have 

 remained in savagery. As it is, they have been largely Christianized ; and they 

 have been partly civilized. The best tribute to the Eskimos as regards their 

 mastery of the region in which they live is that no white man who has traveled 

 there has succeeded in his activities, or even in clinging to life itself, without 

 imitating the Eskimos. Both Peary and Cook say their discoveries were made 

 by actually as those swarthy people do. It becomes, then, of the utmost interest, 

 in this age of the world, to learn the mode of life of the straight haired men 

 and women who so resemble our American Indians, and yet differ from them 

 in so many traits. 



Nearly all the great explorers have given graphic accounts of Eskimo life. 

 Dr. Kabe described his first meeting with the natives as follows: 



"As we gathered on the deck, they rose upon the more elevated fragments 

 of the land-ice, standing singly and conspicuously, like the figures in a tableau 

 of the opera, and distributing themselves around almost in a half-circle. They 

 were vociferating as if to attract our attention, or, perhaps, only to give vent 

 to their surprise ; but I could make nothing out of their cries, except *Hoah, ha, 

 ha !' and TCa, kaah ! ka, kaah !' repeated over and over again. 



"There was light enough for me to see that they brandished no weapons, 

 and were only tossing their heads and arms about in violent gesticulations. 

 A more unexcited inspection showed us, too, that their numbers were not as 

 great, nor their size as Patagonian, as some of us had been disposed to fancy 

 at first. In a word, I was satisfied that they were natives of the country; and, 

 calling Petersen from his bunk to be my interpreter, I proceeded, unarmed, and 

 waving my open hands, toward a stout figure, who made himself conspicuous, 



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