164: CKUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



have but one wife, owing to their inability to support more, the 

 successful hunter being known by the number of his wives, 

 although two is the usual limit. There does not appear to be 

 any ceremony in connection with marriage, beyond a present to 

 the nearest male relative, who gives his consent to the union. 



Divorce is common, the chief causes being failure to produce 

 male children and incompatibility of temper. When a woman 

 is divorced she returns to her family, taking her children with 

 her, and both parties are free to form a new alliance. 



Jealousy caused by infidelity on the part of the wife is exceed- 

 ingly rare, the man taking rather a pride in the appreciation of 

 his wife's charms by others. The women are jealous of one 

 another, and I have seen a wife take away her husband whom 

 she found dancing on board the ship with another woman. 



An exchange of wives is customary, after certain feasts, or 



after the angekok has performed his conjuring tricks, either to 

 (/ 



cure sickness or to take away the effects of the breaking of some 

 of the many taboos. These customs make polyandry easy where 

 it is found necessary, as in the case of the Nechilliks, or where 

 only one woman accompanies a hunting party. 



As a rule the women are treated fairly by their husbands, and 

 it is only in the case of a shrew, or of constant neglect of atten- 

 tion to the cooking and other household duties, that corporal 

 punishment is resorted to ; but when administered, it is severe. 



The missionaries are exerting their influence to make the 

 Eskimos monogamous ; this is probably a mistake. In a greater 

 (/ number of the bands there are more women than men. Under 

 their old customs, a man had as many wives as he could support, 

 and all of them were nearly on an equality. Under the new 

 practice he has but one wife, and the other w r omen whom he 

 supports have no standing in the household, being domestic 

 drudges and concubines. 



The Eskimos display a great deal of affection for their 

 children, especially if they are boys. Corporal punishment is 



