NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 137 



manner of life presented no inducement for them 

 to labor beyond their present necessities. By the 

 way, the females had a large part of the neces- 

 sary work to perform. 



PROPERTY. 



Their property consisted chiefly in dogs and 

 huts. He who owned the best dog teams, and 

 had possession in huts, was considered the most 

 wealthy man. The head man of the settlement 

 was supposed not only to possess the greatest 

 amount of property, but he excelled in bodily 

 strength. With these qualifications, he com- 

 manded the greatest influence, and was acknowl- 

 edged as the head and leader of the settlement. 



We found some among the natives who were 

 considered rich, — rich in dogs and dog teams, 

 &c, — and others that were poor. 



LANGUAGE. 



It is quite probable that all, or nearly all, the 

 tribes or settlements on the shores of the Arctic, 

 both on the Asiatic and American sides, have a 

 common language, though differing, as we found, 

 in some words, and also in prcnunciation. The 

 language is that of the Esquimaux race. 



Those with whom we lived, and other settle- 

 ments or tribes on the Asiatic coast with whom 



