toy magnet over its fish.

I had little opportunity of studying the manners and customs of the
natives while at Kingigamoot. Outwardly the Eskimo differs little from
the Tchuktchi, that is, so far as costume is concerned, but the
physiognomy and languages essentially differ. That the former is fully
as filthy even if more civilised in other ways than the latter I can,
from personal experience, testify. Also that the introduction of
Christianity has failed to eradicate the love for strong drink, which
was quite as prevalent here as at Whalen, although more cunningly
concealed. An American explorer, Mr. Eugene McElwaine, who recently
travelled extensively throughout these regions, gleaned the following
facts, which may interest the reader, but which I am unfortunately
unable to furnish from my own personal experience. He writes:

"The average Eskimo is very uncleanly in his personal habits and
domestic customs, but is always willing to be taught habits of
cleanliness, and is even anxious to change his mode of living when
brought to realise its inferiority or repulsiveness. He recognises the
white man to be his superior, and his inclination is to better his
condition.

"The Eskimo's knowledge of the past is vague and indefinite. Their time
is computed by the revolutions of the moon, their distances when
travelling by 'sleeps,' and they measure a 'yard' by the length between
the two hands with arms stretched horizontally. The Eskimo believe in a
power that rewards the good and punishes the bad, indicating by gestures
that the former go above and the latter below after death. They bury
their dead usually on top of the ground in a box made of small timbers
or drift-wood, elevating the box four feet from the surface, and resting
it on cross poles. Their meagre belongings are generally buried with
them. The small _bidarka_ (skin canoe) is not infrequently used for a
casket when the head of the household dies.

"Their simple funeral rites are conducted by members of the deceased's
own family, no other member of the tribe coming near the house during
the time or attending the obsequies at the grave. While the remains are
being deposited in the box a member of the family builds a small fire
with twigs of willows, and the fire is kept burning until the burial is
completed, after which all present march around the fire in single file,
chanting a prayer, with bowed heads, and then return to their hut. The
household belongings ar