OP A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



539 



in the most horrible manner imaginable, and would, I think, put our most 

 skilful horse-collar grinners quite out of countenance. 



The next performance consists in looking steadfastly and gravely forward 

 and repeatingthe words tabak-tabak, Mibo-keibo, kebang-e-iiu-to-tck, kebangenutoeek, 

 amatama, amatama, in the order in which they are here placed, but each at 

 least four times, and always by a peculiar modulation of the voice speaking 

 them in pairs as they are coupled above. The sound is made to proceed 

 from the throat in a way much resembling ventriloquism, to which art it is 

 indeed an approach. After the last amatama Iligliuk always pointed with 

 her finger towards her body, and pronounced the word angetkook, steadily 

 retaining her gravity for five or six seconds, and then bursting into a loud 

 laugh, in which she was joined by all the rest. The women sometimes pro- 

 duce a much more guttural and unnatural sound, repeating principally the 

 word tkkeree-ikkeree, coupling them as before, and staring in such a manner 

 as to make their eyes appear ready to burst out of their sockets with the exer- 

 tion. Two or more of them will sometimes stand up face to face, and with 

 great quickness and regularity respond to each other, keeping such exact 

 time that the sound appears to come from one throat instead of several. 

 Very few of the females are possessed of this accomplishment, which is 

 called pitkoo-she-rdk-poke, and it is not uncommon to see several of the younger 

 females practising it. A third part of the game, distinguished by the word 

 keitik-poke, consists only in falling on each knee alternately, a piece of 

 agility which they perform with tolerable quickness, considering the bulky 

 and awkward nature of their dress. 



The last kind of individual exhibition was still performed by Iligliuk, to whom 

 in this, as in almost every thing else, the Other women tacitly acknowledged 

 their inferiority, by quietly giving place to her on every occasion. She now 

 once more came forward, and letting her arms hang down loosely and bend- 

 ing her body very much forward, shook herself with extreme violence as if 

 her whole frame had been strongly convulsed, uttering at the same time, in 

 a wild tone of voice, some of the unnatural sounds before-mentioned. 



This being at an end, a new exhibition was commenced in which ten or twelve 

 women took a part, and which our gentlemen compared to blind man's buff. 

 A circle being formed, and a boy despatched to look out at the door of the 

 hut, Iligliuk, still the principal actress, placed herself in the centre, and 

 after making a variety of guttural noises for about half a minute, shut her 

 eyes, and ran about till she had taken hold of one of the others, whose 



