The Angmagsalik Eskimo. 385 
TREATMENT OF THE MUSEUM MATERIAL. 
Prior to the commencement of his task, the Author was acquainted 
with the Museum “only as a general visitor” and found it “almost im- 
possible .... to see what is placed at the back” of the cases!. Later 
on, however, his interest in Museums increased: “I began to take more 
pleasure in the collections of Museums than before; the dead objects 
assumed life and personality. From the silent cases I began to hear 
the language and thoughts of the people”? Nevertheless, after having 
photographed here as much as he pleased (“the work .... extended over 
16 days”) he felt “no inducement to continue” his studies of the objects 
removed from their cases for his examination. The reader will doubtless 
be disposed to acquiesce in Mr. THALBITZER’s statement as to the “strength” 
of the work having been “reduced” thereby®. 
So completely, indeed, did the Author relinquish his studies at the 
Museum, that he did not even make any enquiry as to the origin of 
the objects which he had selected and photographed; had he but handed 
in a list of the numbers, with a request for particulars of each, the result 
would, as will subsequently be seen, have increased the value of the 
work to no slight degree. 
Mr. THALBITZER has himself, albeit somewhat tardily, realised to a 
certain extent the disability thus involved. On the last page of the work, 
under the heading of “Corrigenda”, he mentions that “in several of the 
objects ... designated . .. as belonging to the Horm collection doubts may 
be raised whether they really belong to this collection, or originate from 
GRAAH’s journey, or have been added on later occasions, e. g. sent by 
J. PETERSEN from Ammassalik”, The Author feels some uncertainty in 
this respect regarding ten illustrations in the text. “On the other hand”, 
we read, “the nondescript objects shown in fig. 241 (p. 517) surely belong 
to the Ногм collection’ 4. 
Such an observation can scarcely fail to produce a discouraging 
effect upon the reader, who is thus suddenly confronted with the pos- 
sibility that certain objects are not from Angmagsalik at all, while others 
may be of. far later date than Horm's collection. To anyone in doubt 
on such a matter, the self-evident course would surely be: to ask. And 
the fact that the Author has not seen fit to adopt this obvious expedient 
is hardly calculated to inspire confidence. As it is, the Museum must 
now take upon itself the task of correctly stating the origin of the objects 
in question. 
1 THALB. II, pp. 328 and 325—26. 
221.0, prea t. 
3 THALB. II, p. 329. The fact that the Editor seeks to lay this lack of in- 
terest on his part to the charge of the Museum should not be regarded as 
of any great importance. As will be seen in the following, his work else- 
where is subject to the same inconstancy. 
с, Ws. 700. 
LIL. 
ho 
Or 
