180 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



who were at the bottom of the conspiracy. Other couples had to flee 

 from that place to prevent being .livorced, at least temporarQy. After 

 a time the visitors descended to Fort Chimo, and while the bartering 

 was going on the shaman announced his conversion to Christianity, 

 and vowed never again to return to practicing shamanism. On the 

 return of the harried fugitives they passed the camp of the Koksoak 

 river people, where they had a few days before been the guests, and 

 stole their supplies of reindeer meat and other valuable property, even 

 attempting to purloin a kaiak; and they had ]iroceeded many miles 

 thence before they were overtaken and compelled to relinquish the 

 stolen property. They were*een some months after by some Tahag- 

 myut, to whom they stated their fear of returning among the Koksoak 

 people. A more plausible scamp does not dwell in those regions than 

 this shaman, whose name is Sapa. His power over the spirit control- 

 ling the reindeer is widely believed in and invoked by the other sha- 

 mans, who feel incapable of turning the heads of the deer and thus 

 compelling them to wander in the desired direction. 



Among these people only have I heard of a son who took his mother 

 as a wife, and when the sentiment of the community compelled him to 

 discard her he took two other women, who were so persecuted by the 

 mother that they believed themselves to be wholly under her influence. 

 She even caused them to believe they were ill, and when they actually 

 did become so they both died. 



In former years the Innuit extended entirely around the shore of 

 Hudson bay. Now there is a very wide gap, extending from the 

 vicinity of Fort George, on the eastern coast, to the vicinity of Fort 

 Churchill, on the western coast. At the present time the Innuit 

 occupy the areas designated in these remarks. That they formerly 

 extended along the Atlantic coast far to the south of their present 

 limit is attested by an abundance of facts. 



The Innuit of the eastern shore of Hudson bay, the Itivimyut, 

 informed me that the Innuit dwelling on the islands of Hudson bay, 

 more or less remote from the mainland to the east, are termed Ki'glk- 

 tag'myut, or island people. They relate that those islanders have 

 quite difi'ereut customs from the mainland people, inasmuch as their 

 clothing consists of the skins of seals and dogs, rarely of reindeer 

 skins, as the latter are procurable only when one of their number 

 comes to the shore to trade for such articles as can not be obtained on 

 his locality. The spear, kaiak, bow and arrow are used, and they 

 have but little knowledge of firearms. These people are represented 

 as often being driven to greatest extremity for food. It is said that 

 their language differs considerably from that of their neighbors. 



The Innuit, as a rule, are peaceful and mild-tempered, except when 

 aroused by jealousy. They are, however, quick enough to resent an 

 insult or avenge an injury. They form a permanent attachment for 

 the white man who deals honestly and truthfully with them, but 



