42 A Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



Thus she floated down the river. Once, just after she had re-embarked, she heard 

 a noise, and looking out she saw a crowd of people outside their houses; but 

 they did not see her. So it happened that every time she reached a settlement 

 she passed unseen. Then, one day, she awakened to find her boat aground 

 and looking out she saw that its bow was resting on the beach. On getting out 

 she recognized the place; it was her old hunting-ground for berries; c.imbing 

 a low hill, she could see her parents' hut. First she unloaded her boat and 

 pulled it up on to the beach; then she went home. 



As soon as she entered her mother asked her if her husband had not come 

 also. But she told them that she was alone, that her husband, after the dance 

 was over, had set out on his return journey and she did not know when he 

 would arrive. However, if there were any messenger he could send he would 

 send him in the winter at the same time as he himself had come before. The 

 three lived very happily on the food that she had brought, and when the time 

 came watched for the messenger. Irelaq's father appeared. He had come for 

 his son's wife, he said, though he did not know whether her husband would be 

 dead or not before they got back. If he lived, however, he would conduct 

 himself better in the future. The two set out, and the father took her on his 

 back, telling her not to look about. After galloping apparently for some time, 

 he bade her alight, just a little before daybreak, and they entered the house. 

 On the sleeping platform was Irelaq, but only his head was of normal size, so 

 thin and shrivelled had he become. His wife took a spoon and fed him on soup 

 that contained a few scraps of meat, and with this diet he began to recover his 

 strength. Then she fed him on a thicker broth until at last he recovered and 

 was able to go hunting again. 



They returned to his wife's parents and lived with them until they died of 

 old age. Then they went to live with Irelaq's parents until they too died, worn 

 out with years. Finally Irelaq made a distribution of all his food, two stagings 

 laden with meat of various kinds. He told the people that he and his wife were 

 going away to live in a place where sorrow and pain could never enter,' and 

 then the two turned into wolves and departed. 



11. The Magic Bear 

 (Translation of Text XI. Told by Palaiyaq, a Mackenzie river Eskimo man) 



There was once an old couple who had no children. They lived in a house 

 apart from the other people, because these never gave them any meat when 

 they caught seals. Once when they killed some polar bears, the old man, having 

 nothing to eat, took some of the blood and put it into a wooden pot and made a 

 polar bear of it. This, they say, was the first bear he made, but afterwards he 

 took to making bigger ones. When this first bear grew up it went out and 

 caught two seals {Phoca hispida), so that the two old people had plenty to eat. 

 The same bear often brought them bearded seals also {Erignathus barbatus). 

 But one day the old man told it to go and bring some polar bears. Next morn- 

 ing the bear was sullen, but at last it went off and killed a number of bears and 

 brought them in. Then it went away and never returned, and the old couple, 

 when it failed to reappear, sang a magic song and wept and died. 



12. The Raven 

 (Translation of Text XII. Told by Palaiyaq) 



A raven once set out to travel. It dug a hole-in the earth with a knife, 

 entered the ground and continued its flight. When it grew tired, it found a 

 resting place on a small patch of land. There it stayed and slept 

 (The rest of the story Palaiyaq had forgotten) . 



1 Apparently an influx of a Christian idea. 



