176 VIKINGS OF TO-DAY 



All heads were uncovered at once, displaying mops 

 of long straight black hair, cut fringe-like level with 

 the eyebrows. Then they all broke out singing again, 

 squatting all round the hold on their haunches or on 

 the floor, while, to our surprise, one seated himself at 

 the harmonium and played it excellently, others per- 

 forming on two concertinas and two cornets. They 

 sang in parts in their own language, but hymn tunes 

 well known to us, so our crew all joined in, and kept 

 it up till the watch called " All hands off board." 

 Since then we have seen and learnt much of this 

 simple people; "Uskies" the fishermen call them, 

 and we all like them greatly. 



Not many heathen Eskimo remain in Labrador, 

 yet between Ungava and Cape Chidley some are still 

 to be found. They recognise a god (Tongarsuk), a 

 good spirit, and also lesser spirits (Tongaks), whom 

 he sends to tell the priests (angekoks) how to heal 

 diseases, and how to tell the weather. The Devil is 

 a vague kind of female spirit, apparently unnamed. 

 These angekoks are really delphic oracles, who make 

 supposititious journeys to the bowels of the earth to 

 consult Tongarsuk. The journey must be in winter, 

 in the dark at night time, and the angekok remains 

 alone in his hut with his head tied between his legs, 

 and his arms behind his back, while his soul is off 

 to heaven or hell. To become an angekok poglit, 

 i.e. fat priest or chief priest, his wandering spirit 

 must be dragged by one toe to the sea by a white bear, 

 and there swallowed by a sea lion and the same white 



