Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-11-11

In fact, such contentious are wholly UNI
known among these Esquimaux in deal
ings With strangers or with each other.
Even when several whalers are winter
ing in their vicinity, and one is unusu-
ally stingy in payments and others con-
spicuously generous, the former Is not
"boycotted" altogether in the anne, {
of meat, furs, clothing, and other ma
terial they have for them all.
Thieving among these bands is almost
wholly unknown, and this has long been
their character. A British exploring
expedition that wintered among them
over half a century ago, speaks of this
virtue among them. A small party of
Esquimaux had built their igloos, or
snow-houses, near the ships of this ex-
pedition-that Is. two or three miles
distant-and a number of the white
people visited them. Upon returning
to the ships one person noticed that he
had lost a glove. and supposed that it
might have been purloined by sthe ma
tives, until one of them who had fol-
lowed the party returned the glove, hav-
ing walked the entire distance for that
purpose. Two dogs were purchased
from them by one ships crew. They
disappeared one night, and suspicion
was naturally aroused, but the next
morning the two dogs were found Sc
curely tied, Esquimau method, on the
deck oft other ship. After the dogs
had broken loose from one ship and had
returned to their village, their original
owner had brought them back in the
night, and by mistake had returned
them to the wrong vessel. Surely they
carry out the Biblical Injunction to
avoid even the appearance of evil In a
manner that would not stand with the
conduct with some civilized persons.
When / lived among them our party was
never careful to collect tools or other
things left around the house, and 1 do
not now recall that we ever missed an
article. The party left large amount
of trading material, amounting in value
to probably 81, 900 or So, 900, in a snow
house in the village, and visited the
whale ships over hundred miles away,
and nothing was touched during its alb
sence. have already noted for what
trifling wages the Esquimaux work
hard all summer, and yet here was
enough to be had by stealing to supply
them for number of years. The pro-
lection in a snow-house is about equal
10 that in tent with the flaps tied. or
house with an unlocked door. During
most of our absence no Esquimaux lived
in the village, but they were away wal
rusing in snow-houses some two or three
miles distant, and thus no one was left
to guard the house, rendering thievery
very easy. Had anyone stolen any
thing and been detected, there is no pen
atty provided for the offense, or for any
other crime committed. The only time
when the integrity of any one of the
village natives was questioned was
when member of my party lost valu-
able penknife. 1t disappeared mysteri-
ously at the same time with an Innuit
who bore the worst reputation in this
particular line in the tribe, although
none of them could furnish bill Of par
ticulars as TO any single definite act of
his in the past. We were living in the
snow-houses at the time, but when sum-
mer came and the igloos had melted the
supposed stolen property was found on
the ground on the site of our old snow
house, and this supposed charge against
the Esquimau was thrown out of court.
They had method among themselves
OF borrowing articles in the most COM
munistic way without any waste of
words. Under all circumstances, how
ever, such articles are sure to be re-
turned to their original owners. If they
are out of oil for their lamps or lack of
provisions and find cairn (pile of large
stones) containing oil or meat of any
kind they do not hesitate to break into
and take enough to relieve their
immediate necessties-ne more
and attach 10 stick stuck up in the
snow alongside the despoiled cairn pay
ment in full for what has been taken
therefrom in the way of snow-knife, a
bag of bullets, or whatever they may,
have handy and know will be useful to
the other party whose meat or oil has
been taken. If this owner belongs to
the same village as the traveller the for
mer will be compensated when they
meet. This snow-knife or bag of bull
lets, or what not, that has been sus-
pended as collateral from the upright
stick may dangle there for month or
two, and all the Esquimaux within
travelling distance may pass it daily
and it will never be molested until the
owner comes along looking for his oil or
meat. l knew an Innuit hunter who
visited the whale ships at Marble Island
on leaving the mainland to cross the ice
to the island, and where all chances of
seeing game ended, take his breech-
loading rifle, an inestimable prize in
their eyes, and, planting its butt in the
deep snow leave it standing upright on
the native line of travel to the ships. 1
saw it about two weeks after it had been
put there on my way to the ships, and
again about four weeks after that when
returning. / supposed one hundred or
two hundred had passed it, nine-tenths
of whom would have given years la
Dor for it, but the owner brought it home
at last when he returned to his village. l
have noticed this frequently among the
Esquimaux.--Frederick SchUatka, in ~.
ms