210 Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



them, they say; people afar off, it destroyed them all, they say. People here, 

 the fish, the salmon, the thing that moves them, it is going to e^-t them, it is 

 dangerous. These people unhappily it ate, it ate; those unhappily it terrifies; 

 these people, dangerous-, these, unhappily, the fish, these, it is going to eat them 

 down there. Ukumarauta's shade, it seized him, him, out over the sea, Ukum- 

 arauta, the big island, intending to eat him, its shade, out over the sea, seized 

 him." 



Fig. 60. Digging fishing-holes through the ice, Lake Angmaloktok, Colville hills 



(Here there are some indistinct words in the record, the comments of 

 Ilatsiak's wife in the background. Ilatsiak continues: — ) 



"These people, these people, yes. How is it? These people, it seized 

 out over the sea." 



(Again there are constant interruptions by the audience, and Ilatsiak 

 continues : — ) 



"Yes, Ukumarauta, the people, it, the fish, it seized, seized, it, the fish. 

 The, dogs, the dogs, these, these people, these, these people, their kinsfolk, 

 those away over there, the Indians too, it kills with its heavy weight, it eats 

 them, destroying them without difficulty. Yes, it seized, it seized that one, 

 it seized, it seized, yes. But I speaking plainly I think I am." 



(At this point the voice of his wife is distinctly audible, saying, "Speak 

 plainly, speak out.") 



"Yes, from the sea, the salt sea, it seized, hu, hu, yes, they are going to 

 eat, yes, next summer, they are going to eat, hu, hu, hu." , 



Only the general drift of the meaning is distinguishable from these broken 

 utterances. With regard to the first part the natives explained that there 

 is a huge salmon, as large as an island, which swallowed two kayaks once with 

 their occupants, and almost devoured two others at the same time. This 

 was in a lake somewhere beyond Bathurst inlet where the Eskimos secure 

 caribou, not with bows and arrows, but with pit-falls. Thesalmon is frightened 

 and hides when the shamans hold a stance and talk about it. 



