164: cruise OF THE NEPTUNE 
have but one wife, owing to their inability to support more, the 
successful hunter being known by the number of his wives, 
although two is the usual limit. There does not appear to be 
any ceremony in connection with marriage, beyond a present to 
the nearest male relative, who gives his consent to the union. 
Divorce is common, the chief causes being failure to produce 
male children and incompatibility of temper. When a woman 
is divorced she returns to her family, taking her children with 
her, and both parties are free to form a new alliance. 
Jealousy caused by infidelity on the part of the wife is exceed- 
ingly rare, the man taking rather a pride in the appreciation of 
his wife's charms by others. The women are jealous of one 
another, and I have seen a wife take away her husband whom 
she found dancing on board the ship with another woman. 
An exchange of wives is customary, after certain feasts, or 
after the angekok has performed his conjuring tricks, either to 
cure sickness or to take away the effects of the breaking of some 
of the many taboos. These customs make polyandry easy Where 
it is found necessary, as in the case of the Nechilliks, or where 
only one woman accompanies a hunting party. 
As a rule the women are treated fairly by their husbands, and 
it is only in the case of a shrew, or of constant neglect of atten- 
tion to the cooking and other household duties, that corporal 
punishment is resorted to; but when administered, it is severe. 
The missionaries are exerting their influence to make the 
Eskimos monogamous; this is probably a mistake. In a greater 
number of the bands there are more women than men. Under 
their old customs, a man had as many wives as he could support, 
and all of them were nearly on an equality. Under the new 
practice he has but one wife, and the other women whom he 
supports have no standing in the household, being domestic 
drudges and concubines. 
The Eskimos display a great deal of affection for their 
children, especially if they are boys. Corporal punishment is 
