The Ammassalik Eskimo. 441 
ment, explained the nature and extent of the loss). But my remarks 
concerned also, indirectly, losses which are for myself personally of a 
far more serious character. 
It ıs a question — to which I shall revert later on — whether Hr. 
THOMSEN'S criticisms are of any scientific importance. I cannot but 
repeat here, that the manner in which my critic, in his “Notes and Cor- 
rections’, deals with the work thus annotated and corrected, is biased 
and aggressive; any possible merits of the work reviewed are thus en- 
tirely ignored. It isa part of his tactical method to exaggerate the scien- 
tific importance of such mishaps as arose from my experiences in the 
Museum, as for instance where an article has been incorrectly assigned 
to this or that collection. The main point, it need hardly be said, is that 
objects shown or mentioned should actually be from the region con- 
cerned, and truly indicative of the native culture there prevailing. And 
that my work has achieved its aim in this respect is, I venture to opine, 
beyond all doubt. - 
My illustrations, and the text thereto pertaining, contain nothing 
but true examples of "Ammassalik culture”. If certain positive data 
from the inventories are lacking — and Hr. THOMSEN appears to show 
a considerable number — these are nevertheless of such a nature that 
while they might have supplemented my description of the objects in 
regard to certain minor points, their absence is of slight import in viewing 
the culture of Ammassalik as a whole. — My critic had here, as an offi- 
cial of the Museum, very obvious advantages as against myself, and 
has enjoyed the privileges of his office for many years. For this reason 
also, he must necessarily be incompetent to judge of the case, having 
never himself been able to view the Department as a visitor, dependent 
upon the will and pleasure of the Director or his subordinates, nor even 
himself been present during my visits there. 
We see him, then, seated at the very fount of knowledge, criticising 
and correcting; proffering, with a certain hauteur, the information which 
I endeavoured to obtain seven years ago. 
Hr. THoMSEN’s opus thus serves — strangely enough, since I do 
not know him personally — to confirm still further in its own way my 
earlier impression of Museum manners in this Department. I recognise, 
in the satiric style of his work, an echo from the days of my visits to 
his Department. The tone is in essentials the same, resonant of the 
very spirit with which I was received within those precincts — and 
which drove me thence. Evidently, the administrative influence of the 
Department is highly calculated to permeate and mould the persona- 
hty of those who are for any length of time subjected to its sway. 
