TCBNFRi FESTIVALS AND GAMES. 323 



bowl, and placing a piece of the pemmican within it, handed it to the 

 attendant whose duty it was to olfer it to me. 



I, however, found it quite iuedible. Other guests constantly arrived 

 and some departed, made happy by their share of this compound of 

 rancid tallow and marrow with a due admixture of pounded dry meat 

 of the reindeer. I soon departed, and attempted to take the remnant 

 of the pemmican with nie. Tliis was instantly forbidden, and iuforiua- 

 tion given me that by so doing I should cause all the deer to desert the 

 vicinity, and thus make the people starve. I explained that such was 

 not my desire, and after wishing continued ijrosperity and enjoyment, 

 I made my way out. I was then informed that the feast would con- 

 tinue for a time, and wind up with an invitation to the Avomen, who 

 had hitherto been excluded, to come and eat the remnants left by the 

 men. At the end of two days thereafter the feast concluded and a 

 dance took place. In this performance there was nothing remarkable. 

 The men sang songs and kicked up their heels, while the women 

 shrugged their shoulders as they swayed their bodies from right to 

 left, and assumed various other postures, although their limbs were 

 apparently kept in a rigid position, occasionally uttering their plaudits 

 as the men made humorous compliments to their generous host. 



This feast was given by one who had been unusually successful in 

 the capture of fur-bearing animals, and, to prove his wealth, displayed 

 it before the assemblage and gave a feast in consideration of his ability. 

 Other feasts of a similar character occur, and differ from this in no 

 special feature. 



The principal source of amusement with the men is the game of 

 draughts or checkers. While the men are in the tent or on the hillsides 

 awaiting the approach of bauds of deer tlieir idle moments are employed 

 over this game. Neither hunger nor the sight of game is sufficient to 

 distract them, so intently are they absorbed. 



The game is j)layed as in civilization, with only slight differences. I 

 am not aware that wages are laid upon its issue. Some of the men are 

 so expert that they would rank as skillful players in any part of the 

 world. 



Small boards that may be carried in the hunting bag are used on trips 

 to while away the tedium of the long winter evenings with only the light 

 of the flickering tire of the dry limbs of spruce. Far into the night the 

 players engage, and are only disturbed when one of their tired com- 

 panions starts from his sleep to relate a wondrous dream and have it 

 expounded by the listeners, who sit aghast at the revelations. 



They also have a game corresponding to "cup and ball," but it is 

 played with different implements from what the Eskimo use, as may be 

 seen by referring to Fig. 1.50. The hollow cones are made from the 

 terminal phalanges of the reindeer's foot. The tail tied to tlie end of 

 the thong is that of a marten or a mink. The player holds the peg in one 

 hand, and tossing up the bones tries to catch the nearest bone on the 



