THE ESKIMOS AND THE MISSION 



clapped Aron on the back, and covered him with 

 confusion. When the counting was finished the 

 missionary read the result, and asked the four who 

 headed the poll to stand. " Are you willing to serve 

 dutifully as an elder of the people ? " he asked them 

 one by one, and when each had given his " Ahaila" 

 of assent the meeting dispersed at the simple word 

 66 Taimak " (so let it be). 



These chapel-servants and elders are wonderfully 

 successful in maintaining the tone of native life ; 

 they are not only trustworthy people, but they have 

 high ideals too. Witness their action when the 

 drink evil began to get a grip upon the Eskimos. 

 That was in 1907, after some evil genius had taught 

 the people to brew a vile and powerful concoction 

 from treacle and mouldy biscuits. Several of the 

 men began to get drunk, and prowled about with all 

 their evil passions loosed. The chapel-servants and 

 elders called a meeting of the men in one of the 

 biggest of the huts. " This new habit is bad," they 

 said, "it will ruin the people: let us cast it out." 

 And cast it out they did. Grave-faced men, with 

 care upon their shoulders, travelled from Okak to 

 the stations north and south ; men from the other 

 stations came to Okak ; all were bent on the same 

 errand, the discussion of the drink question. They 

 returned from their journeyings with their aim 

 accomplished : " Kajusimavut," they said, " the mind 

 of the people is made up the brewing and drinking 

 must cease." They called the men together, and got 

 a promise from every one that the kegs of liquor 

 should be smashed and the drink poured on the 

 snow, and that there should be no more brewing; 

 and when one young man refused to smash his keg, 



