November, 1S61.] Playmfj tJic Key-Iow-Wc. 99 



of Ever-at^ whose picture is g-iven in Parry's Narrative of his second 

 voyage, and who is named by him as helping- to draw one of the 

 charts. When Ook-har-loo was tired out, Oon-goo-too took up the licy- 

 low tik, the women striking- up for him their second song. Ou-e-hi now 

 gave Hall a punch in the side, which was understood to mean, "Just 

 see what my people can do"; when tlie performers, stripping off their 

 jackets to be naked from their loins up, alternately dealt each other's 

 arms such fearful blows that Hall thought their very bones must be 

 broken, and seemed to feel his own shoulders ache. The one who had 

 played the key-Iow-tik the longer now struck his blows without mit- 

 tens, and Ook-har-loo ere long gave signs of surrender. The times 

 varied from 10 to 13 minutes each. 



Ar-too-a, Ar-mou, and Ou-e-la followed as performers at short in- 

 tervals, one of them making as high as a hundred and sixty strokes in 

 a minute with the ken-toon. Then Nu-ker-zhoo, getting his hand under 

 the key-low-tik, and dealing rapid blows first on one edge and then on 

 the other, by this jugglery kept it vibrating in the air and brought out 

 from it the same sounds as when played in the usual way. Hall, being 

 then called out by the house, tried his hand, but for less than three 

 minutes, when the key-low-tik was on the floor, his arm and wrist ach- 

 ing from the weight, and the whole igloo convulsed with laughter. 

 Ebierbing was called for, but was too weak from recent sickness to 

 perform. Before this part of the exhibition closed, the performers 

 showed up the differences in playing as practiced by the neighboring 

 tribes. 



The meeting now suddenly changed to one of a serious character. 

 Ook-har-loo, when he resumed playing, instantly extinguished the lights, 

 leaving only the dim moon to creep in through the fresh-water-ice 



