ETHNOLOGY OF THE PRESENT DAY. 253 



alternately dipped, the middle of the oar being grasped with both hands. 

 With a boat of this description, he travels very rapidly, perhaps 45 or 50 

 miles in a day ; and with the oar, not only keeps his bark in the proper 

 position, but understands also how to right himself, in case the waves over- 

 turn the vessel. The boat used by women {umiak) is larger, and frequently 

 contains ten or twelve persons, with all their utensils. 



Hardly any attention is paid by the Greenlanders to rearing cattle. 

 Reindeer occur generally only in a wild state, and have at present become 

 very scarce. Dogs are the only aomestic animals, and they are used for 

 drawing sleighs. The flesh of seals, marine birds, and sea fish, best relished 

 if half rotten and frozen, constitutes the principal food. Reindeer meat 

 seldom falls to their lot. They are fond of whiskey and tobacco, especially 

 snufF. 



PL S5,Jig. 1, represents the manner in which the Greenlanders kill seals, 

 approaching them by creeping slowly forward and imitating their motions, 

 and in this way decoying them. 



We now pass on to the inhabitants of America belonging to the Ameri- 

 can Race. They are usually called Indians, and are divided into numerous 

 tribes, whose various tongues may, nevertheless, be traced back to certain 

 principal languages. 



The Indians of North America. 



All the numerous native tribes of North America, not belonging to the 

 Mongolian Race, are designated by the common name Indians ; and, in 

 general, there is really such an agreement in bodily form, disposition, 

 customs, and usages, that even if some differences exist with respect to 

 details, the fact that all North American Indians have the same origin, can 

 scarcely be doubted. Their complexion is yellow or cinnamon-brown, 

 passing more or less into lightness or duskiness ; the face is broad, but not 

 flat, with prominent cheek bones and sharply defined features ; in many 

 tribes, however, the latter are almost as regular as those of the white man. 

 The wings of the nose are always broad, but the eyes vary considerably; 

 the hair is straight, stiff, and black as pitch. The Indians that inhabit the 

 extreme north are of small, insignificant growth ; those of the temperate 

 zone, of handsome and vigorous frame ; those living between the tropics, 

 however, mostly thick-set. The men of many tribes pull out the hair 

 growing upon their faces ; others, especially those of the far west, wear 

 beards. 



Although more vigorous than the inhabitants of South America, they 

 are nevertheless deficient in perseverance, being too much accustomed to 

 roving about and hunting, to have the power of applying for any length 

 of time to manual labor. They can run with great swiftness, are good 

 walkers, and have sharp sight and hearing, as well as a very fine sense 

 of smell. Their memory, also, is very good. A lively imagination and 

 good judgment enable them to learn easily whatever they consider useful. 



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