of Eskimo-society began to be disturbed by European influence 

 more than a century ago. However, the communism in living 

 still flourishes, but without being sufficiently restricted by the 

 original customary obligations and at the same time without 

 being counterbalanced by a satisfactory development of the idea 

 of individual or family-property. The natural consequence has 

 been impoverishment. 



The explorations of Dr. Boas in BAFFIN'S LAND embody 

 another of the few essays calculated to throw light on the so- 

 cial organisation of the Eskimo. On account of the scantiness 

 of the whole population, the numerous divisions of it here grow 

 so small, that in some cases it seems doubtful whether they 

 ought to be compared with tribes or with gentes , but that 

 tribes exist, is confirmed also by these investigations. In the 

 usages observed in their intercourse we recognise very strikingly 

 what on similar occasions is related in the traditional tales of 

 Greenland. The remarks on intertribal marriages and the pre- 

 dominating custom that the husband removes to the home of 

 his wife, the use of adoption and the cases of families or in- 

 dividuals having disappeared, contain indications of, at least a 

 tendency to gentes institutions and on the other hand the hind- 

 rance they meet with in the isolation caused by the manner of 

 life. At the same time we learn that each tribe has its leader, 

 especially during their wanderings, a so called Pimmain 

 which term resembles what in Greenland signifies: an expert 

 man perfect in his bussiness. 



The majority of the LABRADOR ESKIMO have been submitted 

 to foreign Influences just as the Greenlanders have. It might 

 be noted that the tribes who are not as yet Christianised have 

 their chiefs, here called Angajorkak , which in Greenland is 

 used for: parents. A Norwegian, Mr. Olsen who has lived 17 

 years in the Hudson's bay territory has given me information 

 about several questions concerning the Labradorians. He says 

 that the authority of the Angajorkaks seems to be confined to 



