132 b 



Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



Release the left index, middle and ring fingers. You have the figure of a 

 "child." 



Pass the index, middle and ring fingers of the left hand into the right hand 

 loops as before and repeat all the movements. You obtain another "child." 

 Repeat this as often as desired. 



Finally drop all the loops on the left hand except the thumb loops (and in 

 the Mackenzie version the little finger loop as well). You have the complete 

 figure, "children followed by a sled and dog" as in fig. 172, or "a polar bear chas- 

 ing the children" as in fig. 173, or "a series of dancers, the last one carrjdng the 

 drum," as in fig. 174. 



(If you drop the right hand loops, and reinsert the index and middle fingers 

 of that hand under the upper and lower transverse strings respectively behind 

 the first "child" and draw the strings taut, you can make each "child" dis- 

 appear in turn.) 



The Cape Prince of Wales natives regard "the children" as "a number of 

 girls playing inside a house." They are going round and round the room, each 

 with her hands on the preceding "girl's" shoulders. The last one is dragging a 

 sled ("the sled" seems to be the loop on the left, and "the dog" the loops between 

 this last loop on the left and "the girl"). 



Someone calls from outside: 

 itqoyanei aynan-iaqici 

 cauyiyanei qamai 

 Uqoye-t Hat dnixki 



? your little girls 



are beating the drum inside 



? let one of them come out."^ 



Each time the song is repeated one girl drops out (by the method described 

 above). The last "girl," as she makes her exit, drags "the dog" and "the sled" 

 behind her. 



Fig. 172 



The Barrow and Inland natives have no chant for their figure. They 

 regard it as "a number of children fleeing from a polar bear." As each "child" 

 disappears to the right he is supposed to reach a place of safety, but the last 

 "child" is caught by "the bear," for it is attached to it by two strings between 

 the upper and lower transverse strings. 



Fig. 173 



1 The chant would rather indicate that the girla are dancing to the accompaniment of a drum, as in the Mackenzie 

 and Coronation gulf figure. 



