4"J TIIK POINT HAHIJOW ESKIMO. 



thoiifili tlR'.v iiiak«' littl.' sliiiw of .uricf tor l.t'icavciiiciit, and their minds 

 iire easily diverk'd by anuiseiiiciits. I am iucliued U> believe, liowev'er, 

 from some cases I have observed, that grief is deei)er and more perma- 

 nent than superficial appearances would indicate. 



Their curiosity is unbounded, and they have no hesitation in gratify- 

 ing it by unlimited questioning. All who have read the accounts of the 

 Eskimo character given by explorers in other i)arts of the Arctic regions 

 will recognize this as a familiar trait. We also found the habit of 

 begging at first quite as offensive among some of these ])eople as other 

 travelers have found it, T)ut as they grew better acquainted with us they 

 ceased to l)eg exec])! for trifling things, .such as a chew of tobacco or a 

 match. Some of the better class never begged at all. Some of them 

 s.'emed to feel truly grateful for the l)enefits and gilts received, and en- 

 deavored by their geiii'ral beliavior. as well as in iiioic substantial ways 

 to make some adequate return. ( )tliers appeared to think only of what 

 they might receive. 



Hosx)itality is a universal virtue. Many of them, from the beginning 

 of our acquaiutance with them, showed the greatest friendliTiess and 

 willingness to assist us in every way, while others, especially if there 

 were many of them together, were inclined to be insolent, and knives 

 were occasionally drawn in sudden fits of passion. These "roughs," 

 however, soon learned that beha\ior of this sort was iiunished by prompt 

 ostracism and threats of severer discipline, and before the first nine 

 months were past we had established the most fi-iendly relations with the 

 wliole village at Cape Smyth. Some of those who were at first most 

 iiis<ileiit became atterwards our best friends. Living as these people 

 do at jieare witli ilieir iieigliliors, they would not be expected to exhibit 

 tile lieree martial eourage of many other savages, but bold whalemen 

 ' and venturous ice hunters can not be said to lack bravery. 



, In their dealings with white men the richer and more influential 

 ly among them at least consider themselves their equals if not their supe- 

 riors, and they do not appreciate the attitude of arrogant superiority 

 adopted by many white men in their intercourse with so-called savages. 

 Many of them show a urace of manner and a natural delicacy and polite- 

 ness whieli IS i|uilr sinprising. I have known a young lOskimo so polite 

 that in conversing with Lieut. Kay he would take pains to mispronounce 

 his words in the same way as the latter did, so as not to hurt his feelings 

 by correcting him bluntly.' 



TRIBAL I'lIKNOMENA. 



We were unable to discover among these people the slightest trace of 

 tribal organization or of division into geutes, and in this our observa- 

 tions agree with those of all who have studied the Eskimos elsewhere. 

 They call themselves as a race "In'uiu," a term corresponding to the 



not to correct but to adopt the 

 made oa the Vega." 



