608 THE rEXTKAI, ESKIMO. 



iiig with the feast of the Oqomiut. The lattei- part corresponds to 

 the celebration of the feast as it is celebrated in Akudnirn.' 



According to a statement in the journal of Hall's second expedi- 

 tion (II, p. 219) masks are also used on the western shore of Hud- 

 son Bay, where it seems that all the natives disguise themselves on 

 this occasion. 



The Akudnii'miut celebrate the feast in the following way: The 

 qailertetang do not act a part there, but other masks take their place. 

 They are called mirqussang and represent a man and his wife. 

 They wear masks of the skin of the ground seal, only that of the 

 woman being tattooed. The hair of the man is arranged in a bunch 

 protruding from the forehead (sulubaut), that of the woman in a 

 pigtail on each side and a large knot at the back of the head. Their 

 left li'u's alt' tied up by a Ihniiu- running around the neck and the 

 kiii'c. CMiiipcllinL;' tlii'iii 1(1 holihlc. They have neither seal float and 

 spi'ar nil]- iiiflati'd legs. Imt I'arry the skin scraper. They must try 

 to enter the huts while- the Inuit hold a long sealskin thong before 

 them to keep them off. If they fall down in the attempt to cross it 

 they are thoronirhly lioaten with a short whip or with sticks. After 

 having succeedi'il in .utrring the huts they blow out all the fires. 



The parts of the least already described as celebrated in Cumber- 

 land Sound seem not to be customary in Akudnirn, the conjuration 

 of Sedna and the exchanges of wives excepted, which are also prac- 

 ticed here. Sometimes the latter ceremony takes place the night 

 before the feast. It is called suluiting or quvietung. 



When it is quite dark a number of Inuit come out of their huts 

 and run crying all round their settlements. Wherever anybody is 

 asleep they climb ui^on the roof of his hut and rouse him by scream- 

 ing and shouting until all have assembled outside. Then a woman 

 and a man (the mirqussang) sit down in the snow. The man holds 

 a knife (sulung) in his hand, from which the feast takes its name, 

 and sings: 



Oangaja jaja jajaja aja. 



Pissiungmipadlo panginejernago 



Qodlungutaokpan panginejerlugping 



Pissiungmipadlo panginejernago. 



To this song the woman keeps time by moving her body and her 

 arms, at the same time flinging snow on the bystanders. Then the 

 whole company goes into the singing house and joins in dancing and 

 singing. This done, the men must leave the house and stand out- 

 side while the mirqussang watch the entrance. The women continiie 

 singing and leave the house one by one. They are awaited by the 

 mirqussang. who lead every one to one of the men standing about. 

 The pair must re-enter the singing house and walk around the lamp, 



' Since the above was written I learn from a paper by Mr. Lucien M. Turner that 

 a similar feast is celebrated in Ungava Bay. (American Naturalist, August, 1887.) 



