Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/331

312 According to Innuit mythology, the first man was a failure—that is, was imperfect, though made by the Great Being; therefore he was cast aside and called kob-lu-na, or kod-lu-na, as pronounced by the modern Innuits, which means white man. A second attempt of the Great Being resulted in the formation of a perfect man, and he was called In-nu.

As a general statement, it may be said that the Innuits, among themselves, are strictly honest. The same may be said as between them and strangers—that is, whites, though with some modification. The Innuits have an impression that the kodlunas (white people) possess plenty; that is, plenty of iron, wood, beads, knives, needles, &c. which is the reason why the Innuits, whenever they meet with whites, always cry "pil-e-tay! pil-e-tay!" ("give! give!") And the word kodlunas, in fact, signifies not only "white people," but the people who always have plenty. I have no hesitation in saying that, as respects honesty, these unsophisticated people, the Innuits, do not suffer by a comparison with civilized nations.

While with the Innuits, I saw enough to convince me that they are a kind, generous people. As between themselves, there can be no people exceeding them in this virtue—kindness of heart. Take, for instance, times of great scarcity of food. If one family happens to have any provisions on hand, these are shared with all their neighbours. If one man is successful in capturing a seal, though his family may need it all to save them from the pangs of hunger, yet the whole of his people about, including the poor, the widow, the fatherless, are at once invited to a seal feast. Though there is occasionally to be found among this people an evil person, yet, taken as a whole, they are worthy of great credit. They despise and shun one who will shag-la-voo ("tell a lie"). Hence they are rarely troubled by any of this class. Children are sometimes betrothed by their parents in infancy. As Tookoolito says, "The young people have nothing to do with it." The old men make the marriage entirely. When the betrothal is made, the couple can live together at