MY ESKIMOS 383 



before this or that man would die — almost as well as 

 our weather bureau can prophesy the coming of a 

 storm. Often he went into trances, for this is neces- 

 sary when one is an angakok. But people do not like 

 to be told that they are about to expire, particularly 

 when time proves that the medicine man must have 

 miscalculated. Such was the case with our Eskimos. 

 Those of a more optimistic frame of mind took excep- 

 tion to a man who could inspire the sick with so much 

 terror; accordingly, a plot was set for the riddance of 

 his evil spirit. 



Their " plot " was nothing more than a scurvy 

 trick; they reasoned between them that it was justice. 

 One day, Kyo was asked to accompany a hunting party, 

 little suspecting that he was to be the object of the hunt. 

 About five miles from camp he was struck from behind, 

 and fell, hardly realising what had taken place. Then, 

 lest his spirit should escape, he was buried and weighted 

 with stones. 



An Eskimo execution is always done after this man- 

 ner. Lacking government and laws of any kind, even 

 subsisting without a leader, the avenger is at liberty to 

 decide the fate of the criminal. There is this peculiarity; 

 the execution is never done in open fight ; always by 

 stealth. Yet Eskimos are far from cowardly — as proved 

 when attacking the polar bear and musk-ox. 



The life of an Eskimo rarely exceeds sixty years. 

 It is amazing that it should persevere to this extent, 

 despite the malignity of Nature. 



There is a particularly touching case of a native who 

 has been dependent upon his fellow men for the past 

 fifteen years. When we first saw him he seemed 



