what seemed to be very
strongly and even satirically implied, by his taking one of our
gentlemen by the arm and calling him _his_ son; thus intimating that the
adoption which he proposed was as feasible and as natural as my own.

The custom of adoption is carried to very great lengths among these
people, and served to explain to us several apparent inconsistencies
with respect to their relationships. The custom owes its origin entirely
to the obvious advantage of thus providing for a man's own subsistence
in advanced life; and it is consequently confined almost without
exception to the adoption of _sons_, who can alone contribute
materially to the support of an aged and infirm parent. When a man
adopts the son of another as his own, he is said to "_tego_," or take
him; and at whatever age this is done (though it generally happens in
infancy), the child then lives with his new parents, calls them father
and mother, is sometimes even ignorant of any such transfer having been
made, especially if his real parents should be dead; and whether he
knows it or not, is not always willing to acknowledge any but those with
whom he lives. The agreement seems to be always made between the
fathers, and to differ in no respect from the transfer of other
property, except that none can equal in value the property thus disposed
of. The good sense, good fortune, or extensive claims of some
individuals were particularly apparent in this way, from the number of
sons they had adopted. Toolemak, deriving, perhaps, some advantage from
his qualifications as Angetkook, had taken care to negotiate for the
adoption of some of the finest male children of the tribe; a provision
which now appeared the more necessary, from his having lost four
children of his own, besides Noogloo, who was one of his _tego'd_ sons.
In one of the two instances that came to our knowledge of the adoption
of a female child, both its own parents were still living, nor could we
ascertain the motive for this deviation from the more general custom.

In their behaviour to old people, whose age or infirmities render them
useless, and, therefore, burdensome to the community, the Esquimaux
betray a degree of insensibility bordering on inhumanity, and ill
repaying the kindness of an indulgent parent. The old man Hikkeiera,
who was very ill during the winter, used to lie day after day, little
regarded by his wife, son, daughter, and other relatives, except that
his wretched state co