OCCUPATIONS OF THE ESKIMOS 



Another romantic Eskimo legend explains the origin of the 

 sun and moon. 



As a rule, the aged and feeble members of the Eskimo com- 

 munity are treated with respect and kindness, but during 

 times of distress and famine they are often forgotten in the 

 general struggle for existence. For instance, when the supply 

 of food at any particular place becomes exhausted, and 

 through starvation the people are forced to go elsewhere in 

 search of the necessaries of life, the aged or feeble, or those 

 who have become too weak to travel, are left behind to 

 perish. If, however, food is soon found, a portion is at once 

 taken back ; and after all, what more could be done, even by 

 white people? 



When an Eskimo dies at home in the igloo, his body is 

 never taken away for burial by carrying it out through the 

 doorway, but an opening must be made in the rear for its 

 removal. The place chosen for the burial of the (Jead is some 

 almost isolated point of land, a hill-top difficult of access, or 

 some remote island where there is the least danger of the 

 bodies being disturbed by wild beasts. 



The dead are first wrapped in their skin robes, then laid 

 to rest and covered over with piles of stones. 



At times these graves are made very large, while in other 

 cases the bodies are barely covered over. Usually some kind 

 of a memorial is raised over the grave: frequently a long 

 stone, but more often a topick pole or paddle, to the top of 

 which a flag or streamer is fixed to mark the last lonely rest- 

 ing-place of the departed. 



Beside the lonely grave are placed the hunting implements 

 of its occupant, and there, upon the dreary waste, imprisoned 

 in his rocky tomb beneath the snows of many a winter storm, 

 the poor Eskimo lies awaiting the sound of the last trumpet. 



11 161 



