778 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



visit every hut, where the woman of the house must be waiting for 

 them. When she hears the noise of the band, she comes out and 

 throws a dish of little gifts of meat, ivory trinkets, and articles of seal- 

 skin into the yelling crowd, of which each one helps himself to what 

 he can get. No hut is spared in this round. 



The gang next divides itself into two parties, the Ptarmigans — 

 those who were born in the winter — and the Ducks, or the children of 

 summer. A large rope of seal-skin is stretched out ; each party takes 

 one end of it, and tries with all its might to drag the opposite party 

 over to its side. But they hold fast to the rope, and try as hard to 

 make ground for themselves. If the Ptarmigans give way, then sum- 

 mer has won the game, and fine weather may be expected to prevail 

 through the winter. 



The contest of the seasons having been decided, the women bring 

 out a large kettle of water, and each person gets his drinking-cup. 

 The company stand close around the kettle, while the oldest man steps 

 out first from among them. He dips a cup of water from the vessel, 

 sprinkles a few drops on the ground, turns his face toward the home 

 of his youth, and says, "My name is Naktukerling, and I was born 

 in Kajossuit." He is followed by an aged woman, who announces her 

 name and home ; and then all the others do the same, down to the 

 youngest children, who are represented by their mothers. As the 

 words of the old are listened to respectfully, those of distinguished 

 hunters are received with demonstrative applause, and those of the 

 others with different kinds of attention, down to familiar rallying. 



Now arises a cry as of surprise, and all eyes are turned toward a hut 

 out of which stalk two gigantic figures. They wear heavy boots, their 

 legs are swelled out to a wonderful thickness by several pairs of 

 breeches, their shoulders are covered by a woman's over-jacket, and their 

 faces by tattooed masks of seal-skin. In their right hands they carry 

 the seal-spear, on their backs an inflated buoy of seal- skin, and in their 

 left hands the tcssirJcun, the tool with which the skins are prepared. 

 Silently, and with long strides, the Kailertetang approach the assembly, 

 who, screaming, press back from before them. The pair solemnly lead 

 the men to a suitable spot, and set them in a row, against which they 

 set the women in an opposite row. They match the men and women 

 in pairs, and these pairs run, pursued by the Kailertetang to the hut 

 of the woman, when they are for the following day man and wife. 

 Having performed this duty, the Kailertetang speed down to the 

 shore, and invoke the good north Avind, which brings fair weather, 

 while they warn off the unfavorable south wind. 



As soon as the incantation is over, all the men attack the Kailerte- 

 tang with a great noise. They act as if they had weapons in their 

 bands, and would kill both the spirits. One pretends to probe them 

 with a spear, another to stab them with a knife ; one to cut off their 

 arms and legs, another to beat them unmercifully on the head. The 



