506 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



tribes of American Indians, with which they rarely, if ever, intermingled, have gradually 

 developed characters most of which are strongly expressed modifications of those seen in their 

 allies, who still remain on the western side of Bering Strait." A very similar view is taken 

 by Baron Nordenskiold, who regards the Chukchis and Koryaks of North-eastern Asia as the 

 nearest relatives of the Eskimo; remarking that the Koryak "race, settled on the primeval route 

 between the Old and New Worlds, bears an unmistakable stamp of the Mongols of Asia and 

 the Eskimo and Indians of North America." But the Danish investigator Dr. Rink, in regard- 

 ing Alaska as the original home of the Eskimo, appears decidedly in favour of the western 

 origin of the race. In this connection it may be mentioned that it is the Eskimo of Greenland 

 who present the characteristics of the race (especially the long head, whereby they differ from 

 the round-headed Chukchis and Koryaks) in the most marked degree. And it is quite a 

 legitimate inference that this long-headed character has been gradually developed the farther 

 and farther the race departed from its presumed place of origin in the north-eastern pro- 

 montory of Asia. On the other hand, those who maintain the European derivation of the 

 Eskimo urge that it is precisely the long-headed conformation of the Greenlanders which lends 



such strong support to their views. 

 This, however, is not the place 

 in which to discuss in detail a 

 question bristling with difficulties 

 and perplexities; and having thus 

 laid before our readers in an im- 

 partial manner the leading points 

 of the two conflicting views, we 

 pass on to the consideration of the 

 people themselves. 



The name Eskimo is the 

 modern Danish form of the older 

 French Esquimaux; the latter being 

 derived from Wlyaskimowok (raw- 

 flesh-eaters), applied to these people 

 by their neighbours the Cree Indians. 

 Other forms of the same word occur 

 in Abenaki, Ojibwa, and other 

 Algonquian dialects. In Alaska 

 [Philadelphia. and other parts of their western 



habitat the Eskimo call themselves 

 Innuit (the people) ; the same name 



reappearing on the Asiatic side of Bering Strait, where a few Eskimo colonies exist, in the 

 form of Yuit. In Greenland Karalit is the native name of the race. 



Exclusive of the Koryaks and the Chukchis (Tuskis), who were regarded by some authorities 

 as an Asiatic branch of the race, the Eskimo have a wider geographical range than any 

 other aborigines; their habitat extending, discontinuously, from the eastern shores of Greenland 

 to Bering Strait a distance of over 5,000 miles. Northwards they extend to Grinnel-land, 

 where Lieutenant Greely mentions having found traces of them at Cape Sabiue; and similar 

 evidence of a very northward extension has been met with on the east coast of Greenland. 



On the eastern side of America the Eskimo extend as far south as about 50 N. lat., 

 in Labrador; on the shores of Hudson Bay their southerly limits lie between 55 and 60, 

 while on the Alaskan side of Bering Strait the latter parallel forms their approximate boundary. 

 With the exception of two localities on the western side of America, where some Indian tribes 

 descend to the shore to fish, the Eskimo form the only aboriginal inhabitants throughout this 

 vast extent of country. The Aleutian Islands, forming the continuation of the south-western 

 peninsula of Alaska, are inhabited by a somewhat aberrant branch of Eskimo the Aleuts. 



Photo by Mr, W. Rau\ 



A PARTY OF GREENLAND ESKIMO. 



