AN ARCTIC OASIS 61 



when they are old enough they are permitted to decide 

 for themselves. In fact, they can make several such 

 decisions without losing caste. On the last expedition, 

 as on those of former years, I found that a number 

 of matrimonial changes had taken place among my 

 Northern friends since I was last among them. 



It would be worse than useless to attempt to en- 

 graft our marriage customs upon these naive children 

 of Nature. Should an arctic explorer consider it 

 his duty to tell a young Eskimo that it was not right 

 for him to exchange wives with his friend, it would be 

 well for the explorer to have his supporting argument 

 well prepared beforehand, for the censured one would 

 probably open wide his eyes and inquire, "Why 

 not?" 



These people of the ice-land, like all intelligent 

 savages, are remarkably curious. If confronted, say, 

 with a package containing various supplies unknown 

 to them, they will not rest until they have examined 

 every article of the lot, touched it, turned it over, 

 and even tasted it, chattering all the while like a flock 

 of blackbirds. They exhibit, too, in marked degree, 

 all the Oriental capacity for imitation. Out of wal- 

 rus ivory, in some respects their substitute for steel, 

 — and a surprisingly good substitute it is, — they will 

 construct amazingly good models or copies of various 

 objects, while it does not take them long to master 

 the use of such tools of civilization as may be put into 

 their hands. It will easily be seen how valuable 

 and useful a quality this has proved for the purposes 

 of the arctic explorer. If he could not rely on the 

 Eskimo to do the white man's work with the white 



