LIBRARY 

 NEW YORK 



«otanical 



PREFACE. 



J he purpose of the first section of this book is to show 

 what conclusions it is possible to draw from the mode of life, 

 the customs and usages of the Eskimo, so far as regards the 

 migrations by which they have spread over their present territory. 

 But it is not intended to go farther back than the commence- 

 ment of this dispersion. Especially do our conclusions not 

 imply a decided opinion on the question so frequently discussed, 

 whether the cradle of the race was in America or in Asia. At 

 the same time, however, it attaches a greater importance to the 

 New , than to the Old World as a factor in what must be 

 considered the ancient history of the Eskimo. In order to trace 

 out their origin , the principal source of knowledge will most 

 likely have to be finally sought for in their language and traditions. 

 As to language, — vocabularies will be required , showing how 

 the same idea is expressed throughout the ditferent dialects, 

 according to the system now adopted by the American authors 

 on aboriginal linguistics (Powell: «Introduction to the study of 

 Indian languages»). But a comparison of this kind cannot 

 attain its real value, without explaining at the same time, how 

 the compound words have originated from their stems or elements. 

 It is the principal object of the present work to give an idea 

 ' -j of these elements in the Eskimo language, and the admirable 

 •:^: construction of words by means of them. We shall then be 

 "^ enabled to explain a comparative vocabulary in a subsequent 

 volume, by referring to the rules stated in the present one. 



