600 



THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



KADLU THE THUNDERER. 



It is said that three sisters make the lightning, the thunder, and 

 the rain. The names of two of them are Ingnirtung (the one who 

 strikes the fire) and Udluqtung (the one who rubs the skins), whose 

 second name is Kadlii (thunder), while that of the third I could not 

 ascertain. They live lit a lari^v lumst' tin- wmIIs nf which are sup- 

 ported by whale ribs. It stamls in the \:\r wcsl, at a great distance 

 from the sea, as Kadlu and in-r sisti-rs du nut like to go near it. If 

 an Eskimo should hapi^en to enter the house he must hasten away or 

 Ingnirtung will immediately kill him with her lightning. Even the 

 stonis arc afi'aid of her and jump down the hills whenever they see 

 tlirlii;litniii,L;- and hear the thunder. Thefacesof the sisters are en- 

 tirely lilack and they wear no clothes at all. (?) Ingnirtung makes the 

 lightning by striking two red stones together (flint). Kadlu makes 

 the thunder by rubbing sealskins and singing. The third sister makes 

 the rain by urinating. They procure food by striking reindeer with 

 the lightning, which singes their skins and roasts their flesh. The 

 Akudnirmiut say that beyond Iglulik, on the continent of America, 

 a large tribe of Eskimo live whom they call Kaki'joq. The women 

 of the tribe are said to have rings tattooed round their eyes. These 

 natives offer the dried skins of a species of small seals to Kadlu, who 

 uses them for making the thunder. 



FEASTS, RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR. 



The Eskimo have some very interesting feasts, most of which are 

 closely connected with their religious notions. In summer feasts are 

 celebrated in the open air, but in winter a house, called qaggi, or, as 

 we may call it, singing house, is built for that purpose. 



O Married women 

 Unmarried women 

 Men 

 • children 



Fig. 531. Diagram showing interior of qaggi or singing house among eastern tribes. 



The plan of the house which is iised by the eastern tribes is repre- 

 sented in Fig. .i.'Jl. It is a large snow dome about fifteen feet in 



