NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 83 



woman was held in very high repute among the 

 natives, and that she was supposed to be a per- 

 sonification of a certain deity which inhabited 

 some remote mountain in the interior of the 

 country. 



We also learned that the purpose she had in 

 view in marking our faces and hands, was, that 

 we might not poison those with whom we should 

 eat, or contaminate any thing we should take 

 hold of with our hands. 



We were distributed among the several huts, 

 and remained there that night. The natives set 

 before us something to eat in the form of whale 

 and walrus blubber, and deer meat. This " bill 

 of fare" had not the recommendation of being 

 cooked, but in its original state, with no other 

 condiment than what age imparted to it. But 

 whether the whole company found their appe- 

 tites or necessities such as to pass immediately 

 into this new regimen, was quite, if not alto- 

 gether, improbable. 



This settlement appeared to be of a temporary 

 character ; the natives with their families having 

 come from another region or section of the coun- 

 try for the purpose of trading and hunting. 

 There were but five huts in all. Our company, 

 therefore, of thirty-three persons, occupied all the 

 room they had to spare. It was close stowage 



