42 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 



though they make little show of grief for bereavement, and their minds 

 are easily diverted by amusements. I am inclined to bel eve, however, 

 from some cases I have observed, that grief is deeper and more perma 

 nent than superficial appearances would indicate. 



Their curiosity is unbounded, and they have no hesitation in gratify 

 ing it by unlimited questioning. All who have read the accounts of the 

 Eskimo character given by explorers in other parts of the Arctic regions 

 will recognize this as a familiar trait. We also found the habit of 

 begging at first quite as offensive among some of these people as other 

 travelers have found it, but as they grew better acquainted with us they 

 ceased to beg except for trifling things, such as a chew of tobacco or a 

 match. Some of the better class never begged at all. Some of them 

 seemed to feel truly grateful for the benefits and gifts received, and en 

 deavored by their general behavior, as well as in more substantial ways 

 to make some adequate return. Others appeared to think only of what 

 they might receive. 



Hospitality is a universal virtue. Many of them, from the beginning 

 of our acquaintance with them, showed the greatest friendliness and 

 willingness to assist us in every way, while others, especially if there 

 were many of them together, were inclined to be insolent, and knives 

 were occasionally drawn in sudden fits of passion. These &quot;roughs,&quot; 

 however, soon learned that behavior of this sort was punished by prompt 

 ostracism and threats of severer discipline, and before the first nine 

 months were past we had established the most friendly relations with the 

 whole village at Cape Smyth. Some of those who were at first most 

 insolent became afterwards our best friends. Living as these people 

 do at peace with their neighbors, they would not be expected to exhibit 

 the fierce martial courage of many other savages, but bold whalemen 

 and venturous ice-hunters can not be said to lack bravery. 



In their dealings with white men the richer and more influential 

 among them at least consider themselves their equals if not their supe 

 riors, and they do not appreciate the attitude of arrogant superiority 

 adopted by many white men in their intercourse with so-called savages. 

 Many of them show a grace of manner and a natural delicacy and polite 

 ness which is quite surprising. I have known a young Eskimo so polite 

 that in conversing with Lieut. Kay he would take pains to mispronounce 

 his words in the same way as the latter did, so as not to hurt his feelings 

 by correcting him bluntly. 



TRIBAL PHENOMENA. 



We were unable to discover among these people the slightest trace of 

 tribal organization or of division into geutes, and in this our observa 

 tions agree with those of all who have studied the Eskimos elsewhere. 

 They call themselves as a race &quot;In uln,&quot; a term corresponding to the 



Compare Vega, vol. 1, p. 489. The Clmkches were &quot;so courteous us not to correct but to adopt the 

 mirttake.s in the pronunciation or meaning of word.s that were made on the Vega.&quot; 



