MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE 21 
pay a visit to the land of white men. The party was com- 
posed of a family of four persons, and two young bachelors. 
The paterfamilias, a gentleman of about thirty, rejoicing in 
the name of Ukubak, not 
only brought with him his 
obedient spouse and his 
two little daughters, but 
also the totality of his 
worldly goods. These 
consisted of dogs, sledges, 
tents, weapons, household 
implements, two canoes, 
and so forth. The Green- 
land Eskimos, who have 
been well described by 
Nansen, are more ad- 
vanced in civilisation than 
their kindred of the Far 
North, these latter being 
in an extremely primitive 
stage of evolution, being 
unacquainted even with 
the “ Kayaks,” or canoes, 
which play such a promi- 
nent part in the life of the South Greenland natives. The 
Greenlanders are, of course, under the protection of the Danish 
Government, and they have adopted the Christian religion. 
Nevertheless, their mode of life is not really very different 
from that of their ancestors when Greenland was first recolon- 
ised by the Scandinavians in the eighteenth century. They 
have not been greatly altered through contact with Europeans. 
They are still expert and enthusiastic hunters, pursuing with 
great zest the numerous species of seals which inhabit the 
Arctic regions. For this purpose they make use of curious 
and highly characteristic boats, which they term ‘‘ Kayaks”. 
The kayak is a canoe constructed of skins, and is completely 
Ukubak and his family. 
