374 THE ESKIMO ABOUT BERING STRAIT [eth.ann.18 



song, keeping time to the motions she made in hauling the cord. It 

 was verj^ mournful, and might have been some old hymn in a minor 

 key. It ran as follows : 



Oh, my brother, come back to me, 



Ai-yd-yd-yai. 

 Come back, my brother, I am lonely, 



Ai-yd-yd-yai. 

 My brother come back and we 



Will give you a small present, 



Ai-yd-yd-yai-yae-yai, etc. 



Along the line was fastened a number of articles. Each of the 

 women had a string, which she drew down in the same manner, singing 

 a similar song, asking the return of those for whom she mourned, while 

 the assembled people joined in at intervals wailing a mournful chorus. 



The articles listened to these lines consisted of grass mats, grass 

 baskets or bags, grass socks, fishskin bags, calico, white drilling, tobacco 

 bags, wooden dishes, ladles, fishskin boots, workbags, loon-skin bathing 

 caps, and tool bags. Eacli line had many of these articles on it, one 

 kind always predominating, and to the end was fastened one or more 

 small wooden models of some implement such as small oars, paddles, 

 or other things symbolical of the occupation of the relative for whom 

 she was mourning, and from them the sex of the deceased could be 

 known. As these symbols appeared the women to whom they belonged 

 would grasp them, and, holding them out at arms' length above their 

 heads, would cry, "See! I have searched and this is what I have 

 found," meaning that they had looked for their lost ones and had found 

 only a toy or implement which they had used. 



When the last of the line was drawn in, each song came to a close, 

 and the articles were untied and placed in a pile before the owner. 

 When all were ready, they arose and made excuses for the small num- 

 ber of things they had been able to gather for gifts. One woman said, 

 "I am poor and have no husband, so could get no more." A common 

 excuse was, " I have been sick a great deal and have been unable to 

 get more." A woman who had an unusually large number of articles 

 would announce the number and then make her excuses with mock 

 humility. One of them had a hundred grass mats and a large number 

 of grass bags which she had made. Another had sixty grass mats. 

 One very old woman, on the end of whose line an arrow was tied, 

 began a song as she drew in the line and was joined by her husband. 

 Both were very old, and their quavering voices united in a sad wail 

 for their lost ones, as follows : 



My children, where are you ? 



Ai-yd-yd-yai. 

 Come back to us, ovir children. 

 We are lonely and sad. 

 Ai-yd-yd-yai. 



