138 G- Holm. 



and told us lies. Before Avgo's arrival at Kangarsik, an old man 

 from this place, Tigajat by name, came to see us. He told us that 

 Avgo and his step-son Maratuk were the only bad people up there. 

 Tigajat said he had had several children, but that Augo had robbed 

 their souls, so that they died. He desired to revenge himself, 

 but as he was alone, he had no means of doing so. Now, when 

 Avgo came on a visit to him, he treated him with great hospitality 

 and even went so far as to lend him his kaiak so that he might 

 be able to go on a visit to us. 



Currying favour. — They tried to flatter us in every possible 

 way, as, for instance by saying that their children, no matter 

 Avhether they were boys or girls, were our namesakes. A married 

 woman exhibited with evident pride her child, who she said, 

 Avas dressed just like us — it was clothed in some wretched rags. 



We saw at Sermiligak a remarkable example of how a man 

 tried to ingratiate himself with us. ît was the case of the angakok 

 Augo, who told us how some years ago he had helped some of our 

 countrymen, whom he had met among the ice. Their umiak had 

 been broken to pieces, but he assisted them and showed them the 

 way south. In return for this service our countrymen had pro- 

 mised him that when Kaudlunaks came up there again, they would 

 bring something up for him. He also told us that the year before 

 я man had come over land from the West coast. As he had drifted 

 out from land on the winter ice, Avgo helped him to push the ice 

 to land again, after which the stranger went back over the inland ice. 

 Both this man and the ones he had spoken of before were dressed 

 just as we, but spoke a language which Avgo was able to under- 

 stand. He was therefore extremely astonished when he afterwards 

 found that he could not understand what we said. 



Curiosity and importunity. Begging. — In one particular the 

 judgment passed on the Angmagsaliks by the people further south 

 turned out to be correct, viz., with regard to their importunacy. But when 

 we bear in mind that these men had never before seen Europeans among 

 them, it is not to be wondered at that they displayed great curiosity to 

 see all the marvels we brought with us, and amazement at, what seemed 

 to them, our enormous wealth. Naturally, therefore, our first intercourse 

 with them was attended by a great deal of inconvenience. Every- 

 thing had to be examined and felt, and when we showed something 

 to one, the others came up and demanded to see the same thing. 



Some of the people were so curious about our things, that they 

 went into our tent when we were not there and opened our boxes 

 to examine the contents. When, on the other hand, we were pre- 



