294 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [BTH. ANN 18 
followed theft at various times, the property of white men ‘s tolerably 
safe in most places. 
The only feeling of conscience or moral duty that I noted among the 
Eskimo seemed to be an instinctive desire to do that which was most 
conducive to the general good of the community, as looked at from their 
point of view. Whatever experience has taught them to be best is 
done, guided by superstitious usages and customs, If asked why they 
do certain things, they would almost invariably reply, ‘‘We have 
always done so.” But in most cases an underlying reason could be 
obtained if they were questioned further, and if they had sufficient 
confidence in the questioner to express themselves to him freely regzard- 
ing their deepest beliefs. 
A curious innate distrust of strangers, or of people apart from them. ° 
selves, was Shown by the common demand for pay in advance when 
they were asked to do anything for white men. This was seen repeat: 
edly among the Unalit, yet I do not suppose that in all their dealings 
with white men during recent years they had known of an instance in 
which one was employed without being paid im full. 
In the same way they would hesitate and even refuse to give white 
men any articles of value to be paid for at another time. On the other 
hand, it was a constant practice among them to obtain credit at the 
trading stations, to be paid when they should have procured the neces- 
sary skins. In this, however, they were very honest, paying all debts 
contracted in this manner. 
During my residence at St Michael I saw men trusted for goods who 
came from distant villages and were scarcely known by sight to the 
traders. This would often happen when the man lived in a village 100 
or 200 miles away. 
On one oceasion an Eskimo came to St Michael in midwinter from 
near Kotzebue sound, bringing a mink skin to settle a debt which he 
had contracted with the trader the previous year. If this man had 
desired to do so, he need not have come and the trader would have 
had no means of obtaining his pay. This was but one of many such 
cases that came to my notice. 
A curious part of this custom was that very often the same Eskimo 
who would be perfectly honest and go to great trouble and exertion to 
settle a debt would not hesitate to steal from the same trader. Among 
themselves this feeling is not generally so strong, and if a man borrows 
from another and fails to return the article he is not held to account 
for it. This is done under the general feeling that if a person has 
enough property to enable him to lend some of it, he has more than he 
needs. The one who makes the loan under these circumstances does 
not even feel justified in asking a return of the article; and waits for it 
to be given back voluntarily. 
My interpreter, a full-blood Eskimo, once told me that he had loaned 
an old pistol the season before and the borrower had never returned 
