112 Oo-oo-took on Parry's Ship, 1824. [December, i864. 



Innuit tradition of a punishment mentioned in Pany's Narrative as 

 administered for theft, wliich story is an illustration of the power of 

 superstitious belief held hj this people in their an-ge-ho ; — or, as this 

 word was pronounced at Ig-loo-lik, where Parry was, an-nat-ko. Oo- 

 oo-took, a superior an-nat-ko, was charged by Parry when at Ig-loo-lik 

 with the crime of theft for taking a shovel, or a part of one, from along- 

 side of the ship. Parry had him taken to a place between decks, and 

 his hands firmly lashed up to the mast. Then two guns were loaded 

 and fired at him. The balls did not hit him, but one passed close to 

 his head and lodged in the mast. The other ball went close to his 

 loins, but did not injure him. The guns were so near his body that 

 the powder felt hot. Parry fired one of the guns, and came very near 

 killing himself, the ball glancing and rebounding in such a way that it 

 passed close to his head. Another gun was about to be used in firing 

 at Oo-oo-took, but it was found to be cracked (both barrel and stock), 

 and, therefore, it was laid aside. Then Parry caused him to be 

 whipped with something that was made of ropes with knots in them — 

 cat-o'-nine-tails. The Innuits standing around and witnessing all this 

 wanted to help Oo-oo-took defend himself, but he said: "Let the Kob- 

 lu-nas ivy to kill me ; they cannot, for I am an an-nat-koy Then Oo- 

 oo-took^s hands were untied, after which the koh-lu-nas tried to cut his 

 head and hands off with long knives — probably swords. Every time 

 a blow was struck, the extreme end of the knife came close to Oo-oo- 

 took\s throat ; occasionally the blade came just above the crown of his 

 head, and when the attempt was made to cut off his hands the long 

 knife came down very near his wrists ; but, after all, he was uninjured 

 because he icas a very good An-nat-ko., Some of the blows, however, did 

 execution, cutting deep gashes in throat, head, and wrists ; but at 



