AND KAYAK 181 



tried hard to stand on it, but it was too 

 wobbly, and time after time he only just 

 escaped a ducking by great agility ; at last 

 he squatted on it tailorwise, balancing him 

 self with his long two-handed &quot; pautik &quot; 

 (paddle), and steered to and fro among the 

 floating ice with all the skill and grace of the 

 practised kayak man. 



A boy came to our door one day, and asked 

 for an empty meat tin. A few minutes later 

 I saw a lot of them with harpoons, enjoying 

 an imaginary seal hunt with the meat tin for 

 quarry. They had flung it into a big pool 

 left by the tide, and were taking turns at 

 spearing it. They flung their heavy harpoons, 

 and splashed through the water to fetch them, 

 amid a chorus of triumph or derision accord 

 ing to their skill. Some of them were able 

 to &quot; kill &quot; the tin every time, but the smaller 

 ones found the harpoon too heavy ; the inborn 

 skill was there, for one little fellow had a toy 

 spear of his own, and was flinging it like a 

 thorough artist. 



So these little hunters learn to be men. 



But life is not all play, though it be playing 

 at work. During the months of winter, when 

 the people are grouped at the Mission stations, 

 there are regular school hours for the children. 

 Benjamin, our Okak schoolmaster, is a wise 



