# A Description of Greenland/Chapter 10

CHAP. X.
Greenlanders have no Magistrates or Laws, yet live very honestly.Though the Greenlanders are as yet subject to no Government, nor know of any Magistrates, or Laws, or any sort of Discipline; yet they are so far from being lawless, or disorderly, that they are a Law to themselves; their even Temper, and Good Nature making them observe a regular and orderly Behaviour towards one ​another. Have a great Regard for one another.One cannot enough admire how peaceable, lovingly and united they live together: Hatred and Envy, Strifes and Jars are never heard of among them. And although it may happen, that one bears a Grudge to another, yet it never breaks out into any Scolding, or Fighting; neither have they any Words to express such Passions, or any injurious and proviking Terms of Quarrelling. It has happened once or twice, that a very wicked and malicious Fellow, out of a secret Grudge, has killed another; which none of the Neighbours have taken Notice of, but all let it pass with a surprizing Indolence; save the next Kindred to the Dead, if he finds himself strong enough, revenges his Relation's Death upon the Murderer. Of Murders, Vengeance is taken by the mudered Person's nearest Relation.They know of no other Punishment. But those old Women called Witches, and such as pretend to kill or hurt by thier conjur​ing; Witches are punished with Death.to such they shew great Rigour, making nothing of killing and destroying them without Mercy. And they pretend that it is very well done; those People not deserving to live, who by secret Arts can hurt and make away with others.
They never steal from one another, though they will sometimes from Strangers.They have as great an Abhorrency of Stealing or Thieving among themselves, as any Nation upon Earth; wherefore they keep nothing shut up under Lock and Key, but leave every thing unlock'd, that every body can come at it, without fear of losing it.
This Vice is so much detested by them, that if a Maiden should steal any thing, she would thereby forfeit a good Match. Yet if they can lay Hands upon any thing belonging to us Foreigners, they make no great Scruple of Coscience about it. But, as we now have lived some Time in the Country amongst them, and are look'd upon as true Inhabitants of the Land, they ​at last have forbore to molest us any more that Way.
They live very soberly and in great Continency.As to the Transgressions of the seventh Commandment, we never have found them guilty in that Point, either in Words or Deeds, except what passes amongst the married People in their publick Diversions, as we shall see hereafter.
As for what we call Civility and Compliments, they do not much trouble themselves about them. They go and come, meet and pass one another, without making Use of any Greeting or Salutation. They give Honour and shew mutual Civility to one another.Yet they are far from being unmannerly or uncivil in their Conversation; for they make a Difference among Persons, and give more Honour to one than to another, according to their Merit and Deserts. They never enter any House, where they are Strangers, unless they are invited; and when they come in, the Master of the House, to whom they pay the Visit, shews them the Place where they are to take their Seat.
​As soon as a Visitor enters the House, he is desired forthwith to strip stark naked, and to sit down in this Guise like all the rest; for this is the grand Fashion with them, to dry the Clothes of their Guest. When Victuals are put before him, he takes Care not to fall a eating immediately, for fear of being look'd upon as starvd, or of passing for a Glutton. He must stay till all the Family is gone to Bed, before he can lie down; for to them it seems unbecoming, that the Guest goes to Rest before the Landlord. Whenever a Stranger comes into a House, he never asks for Victuals, though never so hungry; nor is there any need he should; for they generally exercise great Hospitality is well kept among them.Hospitality, and are very free with what they have; and what is highly to be admired and praise-worthy, they have most Things in common. And, if there be any among them (as it will happen) who cannot work, nor get his Livelihood, they do not let him starve, but admit him freely to their Table, in which they confound us Christians, who suffer so many poor and ​distressed Mortals to perish for Want of Victuals.
Finally the Greenlanders, as to their Manners and common Way of Life, are very slovenly, nasty and filthy; They are exceeding filthy and slovenly.they seldom wash themselves, will eat out of Plates and Bowls after their Dogs, without cleansing them; and (what is most nauseous to behold) eat Lice and such like Vermin, which they find upon themselves or others. Thus they make good the old Proverb, What drips from the Nose, falls into the Mouth; that nothing may be lost. They will scrape the Sweat from off their Faces with a Knife, and lick it up. They do not blush to sit ​down and ease themselves in the Presence of others. Every Family has a Urine Tub placed before the Entry, in which they make Water, and leave it so standing, till it smells most insufferably; for they put in it the Skins, which are to be dressed, for to soak or steep in it, which affords not the agreeablest Scent; to the encreasing of which the rotten Pieces of Flesh Meat and Fat, thrown under their Benches, contribute a great deal; Their Houses filled with a nasty Stench.so that delicate Noses do not find their Account among them. Yet through long Custom the most nauseous Things become more supportable.
Yet notwithstanding their nasty and most beastly Way of living, They are good natured and amiable.they are very good natur'd and friendly in Conversation. They can be merry and bear a Joke, provided it be within due Bounds. Never any of them has offered in the least Manner to hurt or do Harm to any of our People, unless provok'd to it. They fear and respecct us as a Nation far superior to theirs in Valour and Strength.
* ↑ When they see our drunken Sailors quarrelling and fighting together, they say we are inhuman; that those Fighters do not look upon one another to be of the same kind. Likewise, if an Officer beats any of the Men, they say, such Officer treats his fellow Creatures like Dogs.
* ↑ The Way the Men wash themselves, is to lick their Fingers (as the Cat does his Paws) and rub their Eyes with them to get the Salt off, which the Sea throws into their Face. The Women wash themselves in their Urine, that their Hair may grow, and to give it (according to their Fancy) a fine Smell. When a Maiden has thus washed herself, their common Saying is Niviarsiarsuanerks, that is, she smells like a Virgin-Maid. Thus washed they go into the cold Air, and let it freeze, which shews the Strength of their Heads, and it well becomes Foreigners to do so.