350 THE HUDSON BAY ESKIMO. 



After the boy had finished eating, the old man directed the boy to 

 come with him and see the meat stages. They went out and the old 

 man said : "Now, go home and tell your father that all of this food will 

 belong to you if lie will give me "bis daughter." The little boy went 

 home and repeated what the old man had said. The father signified 

 his willingness to give his daughter in marriage to the old man. The 

 boy returned to the old man and stated that his father was willing to 

 give away his daughter. The old man immediately went out, took some 

 meat and fat fi'om the stage, and then cooked three large kettles of food. 

 When this was done he selected a suit of clothing for a man and two 

 suits for women. He placed the nicer one of the latter near his own 

 seat, and the other two suits directly on the opposite side of the fire- 

 place (the place of honor in the tent). He then told the little boy to 

 call all the Indians, adding: "There is your father's coat, your mother's 

 dress, and your sister's dress. Tell your parents to sit where they see 

 the clothing," pointing to the clothes intended for them, and the 

 sister to sit near the old man, pointing to his own place. The boy ran 

 out and apprised the people, together with his own relations. The boy 

 returned to the old man's tent before the guests arrived. The boy's 

 father came first, and the boy said :. " Father, there is yoiu- coat." The 

 mother then entered, and the boy said: "Mother, there is your dress." 

 The sister then entered, and the boy pointed to the dress, saying: " Sis- 

 ter, there is your dress." All the other Indians then came in and seated 

 themselves. They took two kettles of meat and broke the fat into 

 pieces and feasted until all was consumed. The old man helped his 

 wife, her father, mother, and brother to the contents of the other kettle. 

 When all the food was finished the old man said to the boy, "U' sets 

 kwa ne po, go and set your deer snares." The old man went with him 

 to find a suitable place. They could find only the tracks of deer made 

 several days previously. They, however, set thirty snares and returned 

 home. The next morning they all went to the snares and found a deer 

 in each one. The people began to skin the deer and soon had a lot of 

 meat ready for cooking. They began to feast, and continued until all 

 was done. By this time a season of abundance had arrived. 



