21 (The Eskimo tribes)

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body of which was converted into various animals; the
hurtfulness of lavishing the game; seven boys who were transformed
into birds and left their parents; a youth who went fishing and
found some boys who had laid off their wings and were
swimming, they gave him wings too that enabled him to follow them,
but afterwards they took his wings and left him helpless. But
the most curious coincidence is this: in a lonely place, where
some hunters had disappeared, a monster was said to sit on a
rock watching people who passed by, while then he would call
out: «Kung-ku, kung-kuin», i. e.: «I see thee, I see thee». —
Now the Greenlanders tell that a girl fled to the (fabulous)
inlanders, got one of them for her companion and when on
her wandering with him they got sight of a settlement, he
shouted: «Kung, kung, kujo» (words unintelligible to the present
Greenlanders), wherupon people living there directely would
know who was approaching.

Sociology.

In his «Introduction to the study of Indian languages»
Powell remarks that «among the very small tribes the gentile
organisation seems to be of minor importance. In fact the
social organisation and government of these tribes is but poorly
understood». The latter assertion is undoubtedly applicable to
the Eskimo, and that prejudice and pride of race may have
induced civilised travellers and explorers to overlook the laws
and social order existing even in the lower stages of culture,
is especially evident with regard to them. In fact it is not the
exception but the rule that white men who have stayed for 10
or 20 years among the Eskimo, return without any real addition
to their knowledge of the traditional ideas upon which their
social state is based. The white man, whether a missionary or
a trader is firm in his dogmatic opinion, that the most vulgar
European is better than the most distinguished native, that the

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