522 SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



cunning in this shew of openness and candour; and they would at times 

 bring back some very trifling article that had been given them tendering 

 it as a sort of expiation for the theft of another much more valuable. 

 When a search was making they would invent all sorts of lies to screen 

 themselves, not caring on whom besides the imputation fell ; and more than 

 once, they directed our people to the apartments of others who were inno- 

 cent of the offence in question. If they really knew the offendert hey were 

 generally ready enough to inform against him, and this with an air of 

 affected secrecy and mysterious importance ; and as if the dishonesty of 

 another constituted a virtue in themselves, they would repeat this informa- 

 tion frequently, perhaps for a month afterwards, setting up their neigh- 

 bour's offence as a foil to their own pretended honesty. 



In appreciating the character of these people for honesty, however, we 

 must not fail to make due allowance for the degree of temptation to which 

 they were daily exposed, amidst the boundless stores of wealth which 

 our ships appeared to them to furnish. To draw a parallel case, we must 

 suppose an European of the lower class suffered to roam about amidst 

 hoards of gold and silver ; for nothing less valuable can be justly compared 

 with the wood and iron that every where presented themselves to their view 

 on board the ships. The European and the Esquimaux, who in cases so 

 similar, both resist the temptation of stealing, must be considered pretty 

 nearly on a par in the scale of honesty ; and judging in this manner, the 

 balance might possibly be found in favour of the latter, when compared 

 with any similar number of Europeans taken at random from the lower 

 class. 



In what has been hitherto said, regard has been had only to their deal- 

 ings with us. In their transactions among themselves there is no doubt that, 

 except in one or two privileged cases, such as that of destitute widows, the 

 strictest honesty prevails, and that as regards the good of their own commu- 

 nity they are generally honest people. We have in numberless instances 

 sent presents by one to another, and invariably found that they had been 

 faithfully delivered. The manner in which their various implements are 

 frequently left outside their huts is a proof, indeed, that robbery is scarcely 

 known among them. It is true that there is not an article in the possession 

 of one of them, of which any of the rest will not readily name the owner, 

 and the detection of a theft would therefore be certain and immediate. 



