SKETCH OF THE BOOTHIANS. 17 



such is the principlt' by which they are guided in this case of theft, 

 seems indeed fully proved by the fact that they do not rob each 

 other; the evil in such a case would be felt and remedied. 



Tlie reasoning of these Esquimaux, however, seemed of a different 

 nature, and of a more " liberal" character : it has often been used 

 in far other lands, and has been considerably acceptable to the 

 multitude, before the days of Wat Tyler and since ; as it is a rule 

 of action for him who pilfers a book from a library or a rare shell 

 from a cabinet. Not only are the sea and the land, with the animals 

 which they bear, the common property of those who want them, 

 but the same is true of every thing which can be found on the face 

 of the earth. It is the want alone, therefore, with the power of 

 using, which constitutes the right to possession : but it is a corollary 

 from the general argument, which might not be so acceptable to 

 those who use it among ourselves, under which they restore the 

 stolen article when they find the original owner to be in want 

 of it. 



In this manner did they practically conduct themselves toward 

 us. No secret was made of the theft among themselves, so that the 

 knowledge soon came to the owner, to whom the stolen article was 

 returned on demanding it. Nor were the accusation, and the term 

 thief, more than a matter of merriment : though after we had taken 

 some trouble to explain to them that to steal was "bad," very few 

 instances of a similar nature occurred. In one case, the husband, 

 aware of his wife's propensities, always brought back what she had 

 taken away. 



The extremely envious disposition of some of the Esquimaux has 



D 



