162 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



ment. A common one among the men is that of com- 

 peting with each other in throwing the harpoon at a 

 mark on the snow. With such practice they become 

 powerful and expert throwers. 



A rather amusing incident happened in this connec- 

 tion at one time during my Eskimo experiences. I, too, 

 had been diligently exercising myself in the art of 

 harpoon throwing, and one day, having become some- 

 what expert, was thus amusing myself when a party of 

 natives came along. One of their number, doubtless 

 supposing me to be a novice, stood up at what he 

 thought a safe distance, and cried, " Attay me-loo-e-ak 

 took " (Go ahead, throw). Promptly accepting the chal- 

 lenge, I hurled my harpoon, which made so straight for 

 the astonished man's breast that he did not know which 

 way to jump, and barely got out of the way in time to 

 save himself. As the shaft passed him and went crash- 

 ing through a flour barrel behind where he had stood, 

 his companions had a great laugh at his expense. 



Another source of much amusement is the game of 

 foot -ball, which they play with the bladder of a walrus. 

 Their game is played neither according to Rugby nor 

 Association rules, but wholly without rule or system. 

 Men and women, old and young, join in the chase after 

 the ball, with equal delight. " Here a woman, carrying 

 her child on her back, may be seen running at full 

 speed after the ball, and the next moment lying at full 

 length with her naked child floundering in the snow, a 

 few feet beyond her. A minute later, the child is in its 

 place, and the mother, nearly choking with laughter, is 

 seen elbowing her way after the ball again." 



A popular kind of indoor sport, played much during 



