Esquimaux never do anything in a hurry, and these long-winded
roundabout chats are exceedingly congenial to their tastes. So imbued
do they become with this idea that even "Joe," notwithstanding his long
residence with civilized people, could not shake it off.
For instance, Lieutenant Schwatka would say:--"'Joe,' I wish you would
tell the hunters that for the present they must save the saddles of the
reindeer they kill to go upon the sleds, and feed the remainder of the
carcasses to the dogs." "Joe" would invariably say, "Yes, to-night we
will all get together and talk it over." "There is no necessity for
talking it over, 'Joe;' just tell them what I say." But, nevertheless,
"Joe" would have his powwow, and his feed and his smoke, even upon less
important matters than the one mentioned in illustration.
The Esquimaux are polygamists, no distinction whatever being placed
upon the number of wives a man shall have. I have never, however, known
of any instance of one having more than two at a time. This is very
common, however, especially among the Iwilliks and Kinnepatoos, where
there is a surplus of women. At least half of their married men have
two wives. Every woman is married as soon as she arrives at a
marriageable age, and whenever a man dies his wife is taken by some one
else, so that with them old maids and widows are unknown.
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