OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 275 



The Eskimo system of relationship contains original and distinctive features. It 

 is classificatory in form, without being identical with the Ganowanian, Turanian, 

 or Malayan, and it contains a number of specializations which move it in the di- 

 rection of the descriptive form, but without establishing any identity between it 

 and the Uralian or Aryan forms. Of the descriptive system, as we have seen, 

 there are no varieties, but of the classificatory, as it will appear in the sequel, there 

 are three, the Ganowanian and Turanian, the Malayan, and the Eskimo. As 

 neither the Mongolian nor Tangusian nations have been reached by this investiga- 

 tion, and consequently their system remains unascertained, it is not improbable that 

 they possess a system identical with the Eskimo. It has also some affinities with 

 the Burmese and Karen, which are left without the Turanian connection. 



There are three Eskimo schedules in the Table (Table II) which together present 

 their system with sufficient fulness to exhibit its essential characteristics. The 

 first was furnished by James R. Clare, Esq., of York Factory, one of the Factors 

 of the Hudson's Bay Company, and contains some part of the system of the Eskimo 

 west of Hudson's Bay. The second, that of the Greenland Eskimo, was filled out 

 by Rev. Samuel Kleinschmidt, of Godthaab, in Greenland. It is not entirely com- 

 plete, but it shows the principal part of the system. The third and last was pro- 

 cured by the author from the Eskimo before named, and contains the system of the 

 Eskimo of the west side of Baffin's Bay. These persons spoke English imperfectly, 

 but sufficiently well for ordinary purposes. They had acquired our language far 

 enough to understand the plainest forms of speech, and possessed more than ordi- 

 nary intelligence. The female Eskimo had acted as Capt. Hall's interpreter whilst 

 in their country. The Eskimo language is by no means open and accessible, and 

 yet I may be allowed to express confidence in the correctness of the rendering of 

 their system as given in the Table, as I had the advantage of Captain Hall's partial 

 knowledge of their language, as well as their knowledge of English. In the 

 explanation of this system the nomenclature of the Eskimo of Baffin's Bay will be 

 employed. 



There are separate terms for grandfather and grandmother. E-tu'-ah, and 

 Ning-e-o'-wd ; for father and mother, Ang'-o-ta, and Ah-na'-nd; for son and daugh- 

 ter, En-ning'-ah, and Pun-ning'-ah ; and a term in common gender for grandchild, 



This cloth is worn by day as well as night, and is concealed during the day by the waist cloth. 

 Laborers, when at work, often take off the latter, and you will see children running about the streets 

 constantly with nothing further on them. When sleeping the people cover themselves with a sheet 

 which hides every part of the body, passing over the head and feet ; and you often see them early 

 in the morning lying in their verandas, presenting exactly the appearance of corpses laid out. 

 Males never sleep in personal contact; neither do females young or old. Mothers and children do." 

 The practice of wearing the cloth, which is found among all tropical nations, is founded upon natural 

 suggestion, and upon climate ; and it is only rendered significant by the pertinacity with which it is 

 adhered to by the same people when transferred by migrations into cold, and even arctic climates, 

 where a full covering of the body is rendered necessary, and the causes which led to the use of the 

 cloth are superseded. It illustrates the difficulty of casting off, under changed conditions, these blood 

 or hereditary usages, and upon this fact the propriety as well as the strength of any conclusions 

 founded upon it must depend. 



