[120] Sommerville, in Jour. Anthr. Inst. xxvi. 394.
Among the Ostyaks increasing civilisation has proved injurious to their ancient honesty, and those who live in the neighbourhood of towns or large villages have become even more deceitful than the colonists.[121] A similar change has taken place with other tribes belonging to the Russian Empire, for instance the Tunguses[122] and Kamchadales.[123]
[121] Castrén, op. cit. ii. 121.
[122] Dall, Alaska, p. 518.
[123] Steller, Beschreibung von dem Lande Kamtschatka, p. 285. Sarytchew, ‘Voyage of Discovery to the North-East of Siberia,’ in Collection of Modern and Contemporary Voyages, v. 67.
We hear the same story from America.[124] Among the Omahas “formerly only two or three were notorious liars; but now, there are about twenty who do not lie.”[125] The old men of the Ojibwas all agree in saying that before the white man came and resided among them there was less lying than there is now.[126] The Indians of Mexico, Lumholtz writes, “do not tell the truth unless it suits them.”[127] But with reference to some of them, the Tarahumares, he adds that, where they have had little or nothing to do with the whites, they are trustworthy, and profit is no inducement to them, as they believe that their gods would be angry with them for charging an undue price.[128]
[124] Domenech, Seven Years Residence in the Great Deserts of North America, ii. 69. Cf. Hearne, Journey to the Northern Ocean, pp. 307, 308, 310 (Chippewyans); Morgan, League of the Iroquois, p. 335 sq.
[125] Dorsey, ‘Omaha Sociology’ in Ann. Rep. Bur. Ethn. iii. 370.
[126] Schoolcraft, Indian Tribes of the United States, ii. 139.
[127] Lumholtz, Unknown Mexico, ii. 477.