NELSON] CONSEQUENCES OF WEALTH 305 
Among the Malemut, as also among the Eskimo of Bering strait and 
the adjacent Arctic coast, an active trade is carried on. In this region it 
is common for the shrewdest man in each village to accumulate several 
hundreds of do!ars’ worth of property and become a recognized leader 
among his fellows. 
The Eskimo are very jealous of anyone who accumulates much prop- 
erty, and in consequence these rich men, in order to retain the public 
good will, are forced to be very open-handed with the community and 
thus create a body of dependents. They make little festivals at which 
are distributed food and other presents, so that the people appreciate 
the fact that it is to their interest to encourage the man in his efforts 
toward leadership, in order that they may be benefited thereby. 
In every trading expedition these men are usually the owners of the 
umiaks, and control the others, even to the extent of doing their trad- 
ing for them, but the authority of such a leader lasts only so long as 
he is looked upon as a public benefactor. Such men make a point of 
gathering-an abundant supply of food every summer in order that they 
may feed the needy and give numerous festivals during the winter. 
Sometimes they obtain a stronger influence over the people by combin- 
ing the offices of shaman with those of headiman. 
Whenever a successful trader among them accumulates property and 
food, and is known to work solely for his own welfare, and is careless 
of his fellow villagers, he becomes an object of envy and hatred which 
ends in one of two ways—the villagers may compel him to make a feast 
and distribute his goods, or they may kill him and divide his property 
among themselves. When the first choice is given him he must give 
away all he possesses at the enforced festival and must then abandon 
the idea of accumulating more, under fear of being killed. If he is 
killed his property is distributed among the people, entirely regardless 
of the claims of his family, which is left destitute and dependent on 
the charity of others. This was done at the time of the killing of 
A-gin-i-pai/-iik, at Unalaklit. This man was a native of the Kaviak 
peninsula, on the coast of Bering strait, and had been forced to leave 
there after having killed a man, for fear of the dead man’s relatives 
taking blood revenge. He had located at Unalaklit, and by his domi- 
neering character and ability as a trader became one of the most prom- 
inent leaders among the people of that region. He plotted to capture 
and rob the trading station at St Michael, and was prevented from 
carrying out the plan only by the timidity these people manifest when 
dealing with white men. 
He constantly made trading voyages by umiak to Bering strait in 
summer, and in winter made long sledge journeys. Wherever he went 
he was accompanied by various hangers-on and was feared by the people 
he visited. During my residence I knew of several murders he had 
committed, some of which were very atrocious. In one instance he 
18 BYH——20 
