THE ESKIMOS : THEIR ORIGIN 23 



" leschimou," which being interpreted is, " He 

 is a raw-flesh eater." 



As the French became more and more familiar 

 with the people from the North, the word in a 

 somewhat altered form passed into their language, 

 and they became known henceforward to all 

 Europeans as Esquimaux, or, as the word is now 

 generally spelt, Eskimos. 



It will then be readily seen, if this be the correct 

 derivation of the name, that a term of contempt, 

 such as it is, would not be likely to be in use among 

 the Eskimos. It is a mere nickname bestowed 

 upon them by the outside world. They are quite 

 satisfied about their own superiority over the rest 

 of mankind, as were the Jews and Greeks of 

 old. At least, we should be inclined to say so if 

 we may judge from the name which they apply 

 to themselves. This is Innuet, which may be 

 translated by The People, though the root mean 

 ing seems to be owner. We are told in the old 

 Hebrew record of the Creation that God saw every 

 thing that He had created, and it was very good. 

 " No," say the Eskimo, " that is not true," if we 

 may credit a tradition that is said to come from the 

 region of the Mackenzie River : " God first made 

 different tribes of Indians and different nations of 

 White men, and He was not at all pleased. At last 

 He made the Eskimos, and then rested from His 

 labours perfectly satisfied." So they are the People. 



