86 A Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



flew homd. The former told his people that he had been fighting with a great 

 number of men, but had evaded their blows and escaped unhurt. The eldest 

 brother of Kimaktun, however, discovered his father's crime in a stance, and 

 said to his father, "It was your own son Kimaktun whom you burned up." 

 NatkuUsaq was overwhelmed with grief and remorse and begged his son to kill 

 him with his own knife. But the son answered, "No, you are not good to eat; 

 we shall not kill you." So they lived together afterwards as though nothing had 

 happened. 



G. MISCELLANEOUS TALES 



88. A Cannibal People 

 (Told by Ilatsiaq) 



In the early days there lived a strange people, some of whom were cannibals. 

 A Netsilik man, with his wife and child, appeared among them in the course 

 of his wanderings and was entertained by some of the more hospitable villagers, 

 who warned him of the murderous designs of their neighbours and advised 

 him to hide his child among the sleeping skins. One day two men entered the 

 hut, carrying a large stone. They warned their guest that an old man was 

 coming to murder him, and advised him to kill the old man first with the stone 

 that they had brought. Soon afterwards the old man himself entered and 

 began to prowl about the hut, but the Netsilik stranger struck him behind the 

 ear with the stone and killed him. Then his two friends went out and called 

 some of the other people, who carried the corpse away and ate it. After a time 

 a friend suggested to the Eskimo that he might escape by cutting the lashings of 

 all the sleds while the people were asleep, thus preventing pursuit. So in the 

 night the Eskimo stole outside, cut all the sled-lashings, and fled away with 

 his wife and child. Towards morning he heard the sound of pursuit, and soon 

 a man overtook him riding on a sled. The Eskimo shot an arrow at the dog 

 which was dragging the sled, and the wounded animal turned round and dragged 

 the sled into a lake near by, where both its master and itself were drowned. 

 The Eskimo then continued his journey undisturbed,, and on reaching his home 

 told his countrymen of his narrow escape. 



Cf. Eink, atory 101; Rasmussen, p. 216; Kroeber, p. 167; Boas, Bulletin, A.M.N.H., Vol. XV, pt. I, pp. 230, 

 544f . ; Rink, Hans Hendrik the Arctic Traveller, London, 1878, p. 33f . 



89. The Punishment of the Cannibals 

 (Told by Higilaq) 



There was a settlement of people living on the sea-shore, some of whom 

 used to murder every stranger that put into their village and throw his head to 

 their dogs. One day they saw a man paddling towards them in a kayak. The 

 news spread from house to house till it reached the ears of a man named 

 Inneralisi. The people cried to him, to'ymidt tiki'tpoq m-eja'lici ai'dun "There's 

 a stranger coming, Inneralisi, bring him in." So the man went out and 

 called his dog: Hai pcai pcai pcai ty'jmidt qmyam'tpa mdqudoa'tcia "Hai psai 

 psai psai, there's a stranger in sight, isn't there, Long-Hair?" 



The two went down to meet the stranger, but he killed Inneralisi and threw 

 his head to his dog, Long-Hair. Then he went up and killed all the other mur- 

 derers in the village, in the way in which they had been wont to kill others, by 

 throwing a knife over the back of the neck and shearing off the head as with 

 a draw-knife. He threw their heads to their dogs to devour, but the animals 

 would not touch them. Then he returned to his own country, taking with him 

 a man whom the other villagers abhorred and dreaded. 



