196 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



shouting here and there as the evil flees to another portion of the body, 

 seeking a retreat from which the shaman shall be unable to dislodge 

 it. After a time victory is declared ; the operator claims to have the 

 disease under his control, and although it should escape and make 

 itself agaiu felt iu the patient, the shaman continues until the person 

 either gets well or dies. If the former, the reputation of the shaman 

 is increased proportionally to the payment bestowed by the afflicted 

 one. If he dies, however, the cou jurer simply refers his failure to the in- 

 terference of something which was beyond his control. This may have 

 been the influence of anything the shamau may at the moment think 

 of, such as a sudden appearance in the changing auroras, a fall of 

 snow, or a dog knocking down something outside of the house. If the 

 people deny that the dog did the act, the shaman replies that the dog 

 was the instrument in the hands of a spirit which escaped him. Any 

 little incident is sufiicient to thwart the success of his manipulations. 

 If any person be the subject of the shaman's displeasure he or she 

 must undergo some sort of punishment or do an act of penance for the 

 interference. It is not unusual to see a person with the harness of a 

 dog on his back. This is worn to relieve him or somebody else of 

 a spell of the evil spirit. The tail of a living dog is often cut from its 

 body iu order that the fresh blood may be cast upon the ground to be 

 seen by the spirit who has caused the harm, and thus he may be ap- 

 peased. Numerous mutilations are inflicted upon animals at the com- 

 mand of the conjurer, who must be consulted on nearly all the important 

 undertakings of life in order that he may manage the spirits which will 

 insure success. 



The implicit belief in these personages is wonderful. Almost every 

 person who can do anything not fully understood by others has more 

 or less reputation as a shaman. 



Some men, by observation, become skilled in weather lore, and get 

 a great reputation for supernatural knowledge of the future weather. 

 Others again are famous for suggesting charms to insure success in 

 hunting, and, in fact, the occasions for consulting the conjurer are prac- 

 tically innumerable. One special qualification of a good shaman is the 

 ability to attract large numbers of deer or other game into the region 

 where he and his friends are hunting. 



Some of these shamans are superior hunters and, as their experience 

 teaches them the habits of the deer, they know at any season exactly 

 where the animals are and can anticipate their future movements, in- 

 fluenced greatly by the weather. Thus the prophet is able to estimate 

 the proximity or remoteness of the various herds of stragglers from the 

 main body of deer which were in the locality during the preceding faU 

 months. These hunters have not only a local reputation but are 

 known as far as the people have any means of communication. 



In order to cause the deer to move toward the locality where they 

 may be desired the shaman will erect, on a pole placed in a favorable 



