BOA9.] EMIGRATION OF THE SAGDLIRMIUT. 619 



sion. They set out with their dogs and sledges, and wheu they were 

 fairly inland they suddenly attacked their unsuspecting comijanions 

 and killed them. For fear that the wives and children of the mur- 

 dered men might be suspicious if the dogs returned without their 

 masters, they killed them too. After a short time they returned and 

 said they had lost the other party and did not know wliat had hap- 

 pened to them. 



A young man of Ejaluqdjuaq was the suitor of a girl of Qerniq- 

 djuaq and used to visit her every night. He did not stop his visits 

 now. He was kindly received by the woman and lay down to sleep 

 with his young wife._ 



Under the snow bench there was a little boy who had seen the young 

 man of Ej^aluqdjuaq coming. When everybody was sleeping he heard 



somebody calling and s i ii'cuMuizrd tln'siiii-itsdl'tln' inurdi.MTd men, 



who told him wliat liad lia|iiM'n.'d and askr.! liim t,, kill tlir young 

 man in revenge. Tin- boy i-r.-pt fr^ni his pk-irr uihIit tlic lied, took a 

 knife, and put it into the young man's breast. As lie was a small boy 

 and very weak, the knife glided from the ribs and entered deep into 

 the heart, thus killing tin' VDnnn- num. 



Thenherousrd il,,. ,,tli.M' inlialiitaiits of the hut and told them that 

 the spirits of the di'ad imMi had cdiiu' to him, that they had told liim 

 of their murder, and had ordered him to kill the young man. Tlie 

 women and children got very much frightened and did not know 

 what to do. At last they resolved to follow the advice of an old 

 woman and to flee from their cruel neighbors. As their dogs were 

 killed, the sledges were of no use, but by chance a bitch with jjups 

 was in the hut and the old woman, who was a great angakoq. ordered 

 them to go and whip the young dogs, which would thus grow up 

 quickly. They did so and in a short time the pups wore hnnc and 

 strong. They harnessed them and set off as quick! y a s | h iss i hi . ■. In 

 order to deceive their neighbors they left everything hi-hind and did 

 not even extinguish their lamps, that they might not excite suspicion. 



The next morning tlie men of Ejaluqdjuaq wondered why their 

 companion had not returned and went to the hut in Qernirtung. 

 They peeped through the spy hole in the window and saw the lamps 

 burning, but nobody inside. At last they discovered the body of the 

 young man, and, finding the tracks of the sledges, tliey liurriedly put 

 their sledges in order and pursued the fugitives. 



Though the latter had journeyed rapidly their pursuers followed 

 still more rapidly and seemed likely to overtake them in a short time. 

 They therefore became very much frightened, fearing the revenge of 

 their pursuers. 



When the sledge of the men drew near and tlie women saw that 

 they were unable to escape, a young woman asked the old angakoq: 

 "Don't you know how to cut the ice?" The matron answered in the 

 affirmative and slowly drew a line over the ice with her first finger 



