300 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann.18 



buying ethnological specimens in the village, one of the men suddenly 

 began talking and demanded some tobacco, saying that he bad not 

 been paid enough for something which he had sold me. He assumed an 

 air of anger and in a loud voice and with many gestures tried to bully 

 nie into giving him something additional; while he was motioning with 

 his hands to emphasize his demands I noticed that he had concealed 

 in his palm a small comb, which I at once recognized as having been 

 stolen from my box of trading goods. I immediately grasped his wrist 

 and wrested the comb from his hand, calling him a thief. His com- 

 panions, 'who had undoubtedly seen him take the article, laughed at 

 him in ridicule at his being caught, whereupon he slunk away without 

 further word. 



As with all savages, the Eskimo are extremely sensitive to ridicule 

 and are very quick to take offense at real or seeming slights. 



When among their own tribesmen in large villages they frequently 

 become obtrusive, and the energetic, athletic people about the 

 shores of Bering strait and northward are inclined to become over- 

 bearing and domineering when in sufficient numbers to warrant it. On 

 the other hand, when traveling away from their native places in 

 small numbers, among strangers, they become very quiet and mild- 

 mannered. When we landed at Point Hope a great crowd of people 

 came running down to the beach, crying, "a-s/«', asiw'," meaning "a 

 present, a i)resent," and caught hold of us on either side. They hung 

 to our arms and clothing, continually asking for presents. Two men 

 ran along on each side of the captain of the Corn-in^ begging for the 

 gloves he wore, while others kept trying to steal some tobacco leaves 

 which I was carrying under my arm. 



The whalers give the people of this locality a bad reputation, as they 

 do likewise those of Point Barrow. During the summer of our visit a 

 whaling vessel was crushed by the ice pack just off Point Barrow, and 

 the crew threw upon the ice a large quantity of provisions, clothing, 

 and other articles before the vessel sank. The Eskimo at the jjoint 

 had seen the accident and with their dog sleds hurried out to the 

 wreck where they at once set to work to loot everything they could get 

 hold of. They ran aloft like monkeys and cut away the sails, which, 

 with the sails of the small boats, they carried ashore. 



They stole the clothes chests of the officers, the chronometers, charts, 

 and the ship's books; the latter they tore up, and the next day, when 

 the officers tried to recover some of their clothes, they refused to deliver 

 them, and wore them about before the eyes of the owners. The 

 wrecked crew went ashore and camped near the place occupied by the 

 Eskimo, who were living upon canned meats and crackers from the 

 ship's stores, and refused to permit any of the whalers to take any 

 unless it was paid, for with some of the small supply of tobacco which 

 had been saved. As a consequence, the wrecked crew were forced to 

 give up what few things they had been able to save and were forced 



