ESKIMOS 181 
partly civilized one. Not quite as truthful as they are honest, 
they still compare favourably in that respect with the white 
men. When the source of a lie is traced it is found to be due 
to a mistaken politeness, the native intending to please by 
answering in a manner which he thinks will be agreeable to the 
questioner. Another cause is due to the etiquette of the people, 
whereby a man always belittles his success in hunting or other 
actions. When these reasons are unknown to the casual stranger 
among these people he classes them as liars, when the case is not 
so, for an Eskimo seldom, or never, makes a false statement to 
shield himself from the consequences of ill-doing. Of course 
there are black sheep in every flock, and the Eskimos have their 
share of them. 
Judged by the standards of sexual morals of civilization, the 
Eskimo is a minus quantity; but who is to say what is right in 
this respect among a people situated as they are. 
In temperament they are phlegmatic and slow to anger, being 
good-natured rather than otherwise, but like all savages, liable 
to ungovernable bursts of rage when roused. As a rule they 
are proud and independent, with a greater sense of gratitude 
for favours received than their Indian neighbours. 
They are not cleanly in their habits, and this is not surpris- 
ing considering that for the greater part of the year they must 
melt all the water they use. The length of time required for 
the decay of animal matter in the cool northern regions renders 
personal or culinary cleanliness a matter of sentiment and not 
of health, and they do not pay great attention to sentiment. 
Being accustomed from childhood to the strong odours of seal 
blubber and rancid meat, they are not at all delicate in their 
senses of taste and smell, and it occasionally happens that their 
liking for tainted meat ends disastrously, especially when a 
rotten porpoise furnishes the food. The writer knows of several 
deaths due to poisoning from this cause. 
