414 TIIK I'OI.NT BARKOW ESKIMO. 



Dr. Simpson's (lcscni)tiou' of tlie standinj,' of tlic women at Toint 

 Harrow in liis time is so true at the ])reseiit day that I may be par- 

 doned for tpiotiufr Ihe whole of it: 



iiHi ilr 

 lul hill 



vi.li..ii iH.t to share the lahors of the mi.m,. A nv ohmu s onliiiMrv o.cni.atioiis nrr. .scw- 

 iiiK, <h.. pr.-].aratioii of skins for niakiii- aii.l inrn.lii,.;. rookiii-, and tli,_- fjoncral rarr 



.I .seal whirh hrr kusl.aiMl lias lak.-n. to «1,„ h ^ll^ is K"i'l'-'l '■> Ins tootniarks; and in 



The .statement in the first sentence that the husband's rule is mild is 

 hardly eonsistent with that on the following page that " obedience 

 seems to be the great virtue required, and is enforced by blows when 

 necessary, until the man's authority is established." According to our 

 experience the first statement is nearer the truth. We heard of few 

 cases of wife-bcating, and those chiefly among the younger men. Two 

 brothers, who habitually ill-treated their wives, were looked uijonwith 

 disfavor, by some of our friends at least. We heard of one case where 

 a stalwart wife turned tlie tables on her husband who attempted to 

 abuse lier, givino him a thorough beating and then leaving his house. 



Wife-healing was not uncommon among the Greeulauders.^ We 

 dill mil li'inii wlietlier a woman brought anything like a dowry, 

 bill Siiiipsiin savs: " The woman's i»ro)i(^rty, consisting of her beads 

 anil nliii'i- 111 naiiieiits, her iieedleease. liiiife, etc., are considered her 

 own: ;in<i if a sepaialioii takes pjarr ilir clothes and presents are re- 

 tnini'i! and sjic nicrei.N takes a\va\ wilii iier whatever she brought." 

 Ae.-or.ling to Craiil/. ' a widow in (ireeiiland had no share of her hus- 

 band's property, liiil owns only wiiat siie brought with her, and I am 

 inclined to lielieve tiiat this is tlie case at Point Barrow. 



One widow of my ac(|uaiiitaiice, who apjieared to have no relatives 

 in the village, was reduced almost to Ix'ggary, though her husband had 

 been ipiite well-to do. All his property and even his boy were taken 

 from h(^r by some of the other natives. Widows who have well-to-do 

 relatives, esi)eciall,\- grown-up sons, are well taken ctu-e of and often 

 marry again. According to Captain I'ari'y,' unprotected widows were 

 robbed at Iglulili. 



Cliihhen.— From the small number of births which occurred during 

 our stay at Point Harrow, we were able to ascertain little in regard to 

 this sid>iect. When a woman is about to be confined, she is isolated in 



'0l...it., |,2:VJ. 



•' S,-i. K;;.-.lr, ]i. 1 11, •■ |„r a.-conliu^' h, thum it 8ij,TiilU-3 iiulbiug tUata mau beata bis wife." 



