GILBERTSON: ESKIMO CULTURE 61 



ESKIMO morality. For a few cases, see 43:159-161. To quote 

 just one sentence from this authority: 



&quot;Let us suppose that it had been the Eskimo who came and planted 

 themselves upon our shores, and behaved as we did in Greenland would 

 it then have been altogether inconsistent with our moral code to rob and 

 filch from them whatever we could ?&quot; (43: 160.) 



One suspects that past experience has something to do with 

 such behavior as that described by Beechey. Notwithstanding 

 good treatment by his expedition, the Eskimo required 



&quot;much persuasion to induce them to come upon the deck, and even when 

 some of them were prevailed upon to do so, they took the precaution of 

 leaving with their comrades in the boat every valuable article which they 

 had about their persons/* (4: 402.) 



Then, a third, and it may well be the most important rea 

 son, may be found in the state of the property-sense and 

 property-order among the Eskimo, a subject we have just 

 discussed. With our insanely overwrought sense of the &quot; sanc 

 tity &quot; and (( rights&quot; of property, it is difficult to realize the 

 Eskimo point of view. Their economic system is based on a 

 practical application of the idea of the absolute subordination 

 of material means to human and social ends. We have noted 

 the principle on which they place restrictions on possession of 

 unnecessary wealth. Now, as Nansen points out, 



&quot;it must be taken into account that in comparison with the Eskimo the 

 Europeans possess property in superabundance. According to Eskimo 

 morality, therefore, it appears that we ought to be able to disperse with 

 some of our superfluity, and if we decline to do so, we are miserly and 

 selfish. &quot; {43:160.) 



19. BEGGING 



We will mention briefly another practice, namely begging. 

 Explorers frequently complain of this among the Eskimo. It 

 is practically certain, however, that this is due to contact with 

 the whites. According to Nelson, &quot;begging is common only 

 among Eskimo who have had considerable intercourse with 

 white men/ People not accustomed to meeting white men 

 he found little addicted to it, and &quot;their manner usually more 

 frank and attractive.&quot; (45:295.) He believes that this habit 

 has come about through indiscriminate giving of presents. This 

 view agrees exactly with the experience and opinion of Ste- 

 fansson. He found no begging among the Eskimo he discov- 



