140 PRIMITIVE PATERNITY 



" They conduct their marriage," says Crantz of the 

 Greenlanders, " with tolerable good order ; at least 

 they have art enough to conceal the breaches of 

 conjugal fidelity, so that but little of it transpires. 

 Yet it never passes over without angry looks and 

 words on both sides, and sometimes the woman gets a 

 black eye ; which is the more remarkable, as the 

 Greenlanders otherwise are not quarrelsome or prone 

 to strike. Neither is the matrimonial contract so 

 irrevocable with them, but the man may put away his 

 wife, especially if she has no children. This he does 

 with little ceremony ; he only gives her a sour look, 

 marches forth and does not return home again for 

 several days. She perceives his meaning directly, 

 packs up her clothes and removes to her own friends. 

 Afterwards, in defiance to him, she demeans herself as 

 prudent and agreeable as possible, to bring an odium 

 upon him. Sometimes a wife elopes of her own accord 

 if she can't agree with the other females in the house ; 

 . . . But neither of these separations often occurs if 

 they have had children together, especially sons, for sons 

 are the Greenlander's greatest treasure and the best 

 security of their subsistence. In case of separation 

 they always follow the mother, nor are they to be 

 prevailed on even after her death to return again to 

 the father to support him in his old age." Discussing 

 the moral character of the people in a later passage 

 the same author, perhaps with a missionary's natural 

 austerity, says: "Neither does their plausible outside 

 modesty go far. I will not be particular about their 

 young single people, because among them there are the 

 fewest open breaches of chastity, though they are as 

 filthy in secret as other nations ; but as to the grown- 



