CHARACTER OF THE ESKIMO.

Patea Mail, 26 May 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

CHARACTER OF THE ESKIMO.

The Eskimo travel great distances to traffic with other tribes, and in this manner articles obtained from the Russians in Siberia have been seen among the Eskimo in Pond’s Bay, in Davis Strait. The desire to traffic is a perfect passion with them, and they will come long distances in order to do so. Needles, knives, iron tools of all kinds, food, and of late lookingglasses, beads, and muskets are among the chief articles desired. Their skill in providing food under the most adverse circumstances, and in fashioning their instruments we have already noticed. Their intelligence is high, and their wits are acute, sharpened as they are by the eternal struggle against the forces of Nature. They have few wars with each other —indeed, I never heard of such, but wherever they touch on the Indian border there is war to the knife between the two races. The courage and ferocity of the Eskimo has been abundantly displayed on these occasions, and the Dogrib Indians, and those of the Mackenzie, shudder at the vengeance of the Eskimo, whose attacks they have suffered from at various times. In the hunt, they will with a single dog and their spear tackle a polar bear, or singly the scarcely less fierce walrus. They are, however, treacherous and revengeful on occasions. That they killed some of Sir John Franklin’s men there can, I believe, be little doubt, from the stories circulated among the Pond’s Bay natives in 1861, several of the trading tribes in that vicinity having had personal cognisance of these acts. I was once witness of their revengeful disposition. An Eskimo having been ordered out of a whaler for some act of misbehaviour, said not one word, but disappeared over the side; but no sooner had he regained the ice than he sent an arrow whizzing past the ear of some one standing on the deck looking at him. They have, however, some good qualities, such as hospitality to strangers and a kind of gratitude for favours receiyed. No Eskimo whom I

have seen would receive anything from any due without thanking him, and after looking it all over, putting it into his hood, or wherever else he was stowing his acquisitions. Whenever they meet any one they cry “ Timoo !” and will even show their goodwill by rubbing noses with him—a mark of politeness which could in most cases be dispensed with. Take them all in all, they are a very good-natured people, neither so lazy nor self-conceited as the Indians (though they have a sufficiently good opinion of themselves), free from many of their graver vices, quite as intelligent, and, while they have insuperably greater obstacles to contend against, showing higher moral and mental characteristics than most of the Indian tribes. Strange to say, their love of home and pride in their icebound country is immense. Several of them have visited England, Denmark, and America, but they always wearied to get back again, and though impressed with what they saw, yet after they got back they ridiculed the whites in every possible way. The warmer climates of the south disagree with them, and several have died before they could reach their country again. “Do you see the ice 1 do you see the ice F was the constant cry of one of them who had been taken to civilisation, and as he reached his country lay on his death-bed. —The Peoples of the World.