140 THE CHILDREN OF THE COLD. 



in such merchandise as the natives 

 need. 



The Eskimo have no money of any 

 sort, and know nothing of its use. In 

 fact, they know very little about the 

 true value of any one thing as compared 

 with others ; and if they desire a needle, 

 or any other small article, they are ready 

 to give in exchange for it a garment or 

 object which you, brought up to compare 

 the value of things, would know to be 

 worth ten, or possibly one hundred, times 

 as much. The poor creatures are thus 

 often badly cheated by unprincipled per- 

 sons who take advantage of this trait of 

 their character, and they frequently re- 

 ceive little or nothing for things which 

 in our own country are very valuable. 

 I once saw such a man give twenty-five 

 musket-caps to an Eskimo boy for five 



