CHAPTER XXIV 



ESKIMO COUSINS VISITING OUT WITH THE MOTOR BOAT 



I HAD a rather amusing adventure with the ever- 

 cheerful Lizetta during my first winter at Okak. 

 There was an epidemic of infectious disease arising in 

 one or two of the huts, and I knew enough of the 

 companionable nature of the Eskimos to fear that 

 the sickness might spread from house to house by 

 reason of much visiting ; so I posted a notice on the 

 hospital door to say that there must be no visiting of 

 the people sick with this disease. " Pullarviksakar- 

 ungnaipok tapkonunga " read the notice. 



This new departure met with a mixed reception. 



Partly it was hostile. " That is silly ; there is no 

 sense in it. We Eskimos always visit wherever we 

 like ; it is the custom of the people." 



Partly it was fatalistic, with that misunderstanding 

 sort of fatalism that one might expect from the 

 wilder spirits among the people. " If God's will is so, 

 the sickness will spread in spite of anything that you 

 can do : and if God's will is that we should not be 

 sick, why may we not visit ? " " Ah," I told them, 

 " God is teaching men nowadays to take good care : 

 He expects us all to obey the laws of health. Cer- 

 tainly He gives us our food, every one of us, but He 

 gives us strength to earn our food, and hands to put 

 it into our mouths." 



And partly it was met by a thoughtful request. 

 The solemn elders of the village came as a deputation. 



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