Told of the Red Indian Whalers 33 



profit from his work in proportion to his skill. 

 Yet it appears that the able Eskimo of other 

 days was not without a somewhat satisfactory 

 reward; for while bone as well as meat was shared 

 among all, he was distinguished as the leader of 

 his community. The white whalers say that the 

 Eskimo has made progress in civilization through 

 acquiring civilized ideas about personal property. 

 The fact is, however, that his habit of thought 

 has been changed only in the increase of selfish- 

 ness, and as for the reward for his superior skill, 

 it appears that, if he should come to own a dozen 

 bomb guns instead of one or two, and many 

 boats loaded with other gear, he could never be, 

 at best, more than the leader and benefactor of 

 his community, while at the worst he might en- 

 slave all his neighbors. 



Since the whale has been in all times a principal 

 source of food and other supplies, the red novel- 

 ists the myth makers have naturally directed 

 much attention to it. It is a pity that the traders 

 who have bought the bone of the red whalers 

 have always considered the red man's literature, 

 if that word may be allowed, as the mere gibberish 



