42 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
though they make little show of grief for bereavement, and their minds 
are easily diverted by amusements. I am inclined to believe, however, 
from some cases I have observed, that grief is deeper 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 parts 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 people as other 
travelers have found it, but as they grew better acquainted with us they 
ceased to beg except for trifling things, such as a chew of tobacco or a 
match. Some of the better class never begged at all. Some of them 
seemed to feel truly grateful for the benefits and gifts received, and en- 
deavored by their general behavior, as well as in more substantial ways, 
to make some adequate return. Others appeared to think only of what 
they might receive. 
Hospitality is a universal virtue. Many of them, from the beginning 
of our acquaintance with them, showed the greatest friendliness 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 behavior of this sort was punished by prompt 
ostracism and threats of severer discipline, and before the first nine 
months were past we had established the most friendly relations with the 
whole village at Cape Smyth. Some of those who were at first most 
insolent became afterwards our best friends. Living as these people 
do at peace with their neighbors, they would not be expected to exhibit 
the fierce martial courage 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 
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 grace of manner and a natural delicacy and polite- 
ness which is quite surprising. [have known a young Eskimo so polite 
that in conversing with Lieut. Ray 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 PHENOMENA. 
We were unable to discover among these people the slightest trace of 
tribal organization or of division into gentes, and in this our observa- 
tions agree with those of all who have studied the Eskimos elsewhere. 
They call themselves as a race “In/uin,” a term corresponding to the 
‘Compare Vega, vol. 1, p. 489. The Chukches were ‘‘so courteous as not to correct but to adopt the 
mistakes in the pronunciation or meaning of words that were made on the Vega.” 
