10 



life. Certain articles of Eskimo clothing, such as the "dicky,"^ 

 or hooded frock, the waterproof skin boot, and the cartridge 

 bag, are still in use among them. 



For the only record of the ancient names of the old divisions 

 of southern Eskimo as gathered by Lieut. Curtis, see page 18, 

 "Distribution of Population." 



THE WORK OF THE MORAVIAN MISSIONS. 



No account of the history of the Labrador Eskimo would be 

 complete without due mention of the remarkable work of the 

 Moravian missionaries among them. To these devoted followers 

 of the lowly Nazarene the Eskimo of the northern Labrador 

 coast owe not only their salvation but their present existence. 

 So closely have the Moravians been identified with them for the 

 past hundred and fifty years, that in speaking of the Labrador 

 Eskimo we are accustomed to apply this name to the mission 

 Eskimo. 



The Moravian Missions have been severely criticized for the 

 trading establishments which they run side by side with their 

 missions. But for this they can plead extenuating circumstances, 

 as will be shown, and the administration of spiritual and secular 

 matters is kept entirely separate. The principal thing in their 

 work which appeals to an ethnologist is the fact that, as a mission- 

 ary body, they have encouraged the Eskimo to continue to live 

 as natives — that is, to eat native food and wear native clothing — 

 which wise position has been instrumental in keeping the Eskimo 

 alive in this district, while they have utterly perished in the 

 south. The general attitude that the Moravians have taken 

 towards the Eskimo, of a not-too-familiar kindness, and of 

 founding their authority on it instead of on force, is also interest- 

 ing to a worker among native tribes, particularly as regards the 

 success with which it has been attended. 



Their successful work among the Greenland Eskimo en- 

 couraged the Moravians to turn their attention to the Labrador 

 Eskimo. As early as 1750, Erhardt, one of their missionaries, 



' A corruption of the Eskimo o" lige. 



