326 SPORT, TRAVEL, AND ADVENTURE 



came upon the line of ancient pits, now almost levelled 

 with the surface and all but covered by the coarse 

 bush-grass. Fragments of galena and other ores were 

 scattered about the surface, and after collecting a few 

 as samples I retraced my steps to the camp, pleased 

 that I had at last fathomed the mystery of the ancient 

 mines." 



The Eskimos, like almost every other people under 

 the sun, possess some form of worship, and believe 

 in a spirit world. Mr. W. Tyrrell, in his book on the 

 sub-Arctics of Canada, says l : " He believes in the 

 existence somewhere of good and evil spirits, which 

 govern and control this world. The Great Good Spirit 

 (Cood-la-pom-e-o), they believe, dwells in an upper 

 world, of which the sky is the floor ; but the evil spirits, 

 governed by their chief (Tornarsuk), dwell in a world 

 beneath ours, which forms a kind of roof over the 

 world below. The earth and this under-world are 

 connected with each other by certain mountain clefts 

 and by various entrances from the sea. The spirits 

 of those who meet with violent deaths go to dwell 

 with Cood-la-pom-e-o in the upper world ; but for 

 those who die from other causes there is a place pre- 

 pared below in the land of plenty with the evil 

 spirits. 



These latter deities are supposed to have the greater 

 power of the two upon earth, and consequently their 

 favour is sought and to them supplication is usually 

 made, though over certain forces, events, and circum- 

 stances the Great Good Spirit is supposed to have 

 control. For example, he is believed to be the deity 

 governing the frosts, so that in the fall of the year, 

 1 See Bibliography, 20. 



