116 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE MIRAKDA. 



quite recent ; but their far-reaching effect bids fair to destroy 

 the race. To the credit of the Danish ofl&cials it sliould be 

 said, that they have tried nobly to prevent the introduction of 

 foreign infection, but the result has been disastrous. The 

 chief cause of death and the increasing fires of misery are the 

 germs of tuberculosis. One physician told me that about 

 two-thirds of the population were thus afflicted in one form or 

 another, and according to my own observations, certainly the 

 majority were consumptive. To show that the climate is not 

 responsible for this, we have only to refer to the isolated 

 Eskimo tribes, among whom the disease is unknown. Pleu- 

 risy, pneumonia, and catarrh are common, and all the zymotic 

 diseases have prevailed. Skin diseases and disorders of diges- 

 tion are very uncommon, while victims of gunshot wounds 

 can be found in nearly every settlement. Broken and frozen 

 limbs, death from land-slides, snow-slides, and drowning 

 are frequent. Venereal diseases are almost unknown. The 

 average longevity is very low, but Greenlanders who have 

 reached eighty or ninety years are occasionally found. 



The most interesting psychological characteristics are lack 

 of common traits of character, a neutral religious aspect, 

 though taught Christianity for more than a century and a 

 half ; great amity and compassion, a lack of courage, and an 

 almost entire absence of hate and vengeance. Conscience, if 

 it exists at all, is extremely elastic. The intellectual faculties 

 are poorly developed, except such as enter directly into their 

 peculiar life. Attention and observation are often found 

 in abnormal proportions. The people are good imitators, 

 and quick in making deductions and conclusions, but their 

 imagination, contrary to what might be expected from a 

 people living through long months of darkness, is very poor. 

 The Greenlander's general disposition is congenial, friendly, 

 honest, and affectionate, but his self-esteem is very low. 



The language is a somewhat modified Eskimo tongue, and 



