THE WHITE WORLD 



ill-luck, disaster, sickness and death to an evil spirit whose 

 presence they try to frighten away, or whose wrath they 

 endeavor to appease. Many of their superstitious rites and 

 practices are harmless in themselves. Some result in good; 

 others in disaster. The traditional Eskimo never washes 

 himself, but the Point Barrow Eskimo would expect great 

 disaster to befall him if, just before engaging in the caribou 

 chase, he did not wash from his person the scent, dirt, and 

 grease accumulated during the winter's sealing; or if, just 

 before going out on the ice in the following April to capture 

 whales, he did not wash off the scent of the caribou chase. 



When a death occurs in the village the women are not 

 allowed, from sunset to sunrise, either to make or repair 

 garments or to do sewing of any kind, except in the most 

 urgent cases, when the work must be done while sitting 

 within circles inscribed by the point of a knife upon the 

 floor of the iglu. 



A woman who during the winter has lost a child by 

 death is not allowed to go on the ocean ice during the 

 Eskimo whaling season, for if she were to go, the whales 

 would either not come at all or would pass in their run 

 to the north and east, far from the shore ice. This restric- 

 tion may deprive a family of a possible share in the season's 

 catch. 



The umiaks, or large skin-boats, when prepared for 

 whaling are decorated with crow skins, eagle beaks and 

 claws, the skin of ermine, and little bags containing earth 

 from the grave of some old-time noted whaleman, for the 

 purpose of ornamentation and also as luck-charms. After 

 the umiaks are ready, all of the natives are restricted 

 from pounding on iron, chopping wood, or digging in the 

 earth, and all their movements must be made in a quiet 

 manner. The umiak must be launched from the ice, bow 

 first, otherwise it would be impossible to capture a whale 

 during the entire season. 



A whale must be first struck, as heretofore observed, 

 with the stone toggle harpoon, and in consequence some 

 whales escape, which, if struck with the iron harpoon might 

 be captured. Each captured whale, before being cut up, 

 must have a few drops of fresh water from the tundra 

 poured on his head, and some magic words spoken to as- 



