40 THE POINT BAKKUW ESKIMO. 



soios OH The face f'niiii iieff](>cte(l frost bites are common. iNIniiy are 

 blind in one eye tioiii \vb;it a|i]ieais to be cataiact or leucoma, but only 



o 'ase ol'c plele lilindiirss was not iccil. l>r. Siitlierlaml states that 



lie does nor vecolle<-t a siii<;le instance of total l)liiKlness among the 

 I'",sidino tliat in' saw in IJattin Land, and expresses the opinion that "An 

 individual in such a state would l)e (luite unlit for the life of toil and 

 hardshij) to which the hardy Ks(iuiniaux is ex])osed. The ne<;lect eon- 

 se(pH'nt upon this helpless condition most probably cuts off its attiicted 



This seems (piite reasonable on a jiriori gi-ounds. but novertlieles.s the 

 blind man at ('ajic Sniytli had lived to middle a-c in very comfortable 

 cireumstan<-cs. and Iliou.uli supjiorted to a urcat extent by his relatives 

 he was uevcrtlieless able to do a certain share of work, ami had the 

 rejiutation of bciui; a ticod paddler for a whalinj; umiak. 



Injuries are larc ( )ne man had lost both feet at the ankle and moved 

 about with -real ease and rapidity on his knees. All are sul)ieet to 

 blecdin- at the nose and usually phi- the bleedin.u nostril with a bunch 

 of deer hair.- 



This habit, as it has been termed, of vicarious hemorrhage seems to 

 lie characteristic of the Kskimo race wherever they have been met with, 

 and has been supiiosed to be a jirocess of natur<' for relieving tin' full- 

 ness of the circulatory system caused by their exclusively animal dii't.-' 



Natural deformith's and abnormalities of structure ar<' uncommon, 

 except sti'abisnnrs. which is eonimon and often, at least, cou.ucnital. ( )ne 

 l)oy in I'tkiavwin had his forein^ad twisted to one side, probably from 

 s.ane accident or dithculty dnrin- delivery. His intelligence did not 

 seem to be imiiaired. The people are, as a rule, right handed, but that 

 lelt-handed jiersons occasionally oc(Mir is shown by their having a word 

 for a lelt handed man. We also collected a -crooked knife,'" htted for 

 use witli the left hand.' 



PSYCHIC A I. CIIAKACTEinSTICS. 



As a rule they are quick-wirted and intelligent, and show a great 

 capacity for appreciating and learning useful tilings, especially mechan- 

 ical arts. In disposition they are light hearted and cheerful, not easily 

 cast down by sorrow or misfortune, and though sometimes quicktera- 

 liered, their anger seldom lasts long.-' They have a very keen sen.se of 

 humor, and are fond of practical Jokes, which they take in good part, 



' Jouni. Etlmol, Soc. vol. 4. p. 206. 



s Compare wlmt Diivis wrote in 1586 of the Grpeul.->niler.s : "These people are much given to lileert, 

 ami, therefore, stoppe thcyr noses with doere hayre or tlie hiiyre of an ehiu." Hakluyt, Voyages, ete., 

 1089. p. 782. 



' Egcilo, GreenUind, p. 120; Cr,antz, vol. 1, p. 234 (Greenland) ; Southerland. Journ. Ethnol. Soc., vol. 

 IV. p. 207 (Baffin Land); <')ia]>pell. "Hudson Bay." p- 74 (Xorth Shore of Hudson Stnait) ; Lyon, 

 .lournal, p. 1^ .Un.K..ii siiv.ili K.-mlliii l»t )'.i. \ ,, -"i (Hudsou Strait); Pilrry. 2d Toy., p. 544 



4 1 liavc ;ii 1 1 I I' I ' ' I !: I -I ' '■' iiimU'd person from Nuwuk. 



'Holm i-;ilU I li I .1- li ■ j.iLi.liLii I ..IK, 1,1 id'' Geogr. Tidskrift, vol. H, p. 96. 



