540 



SECOND VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY 



business it then became to take her station in the centre, so that almost every 

 woman in her turn occupied this post, and in her own peculiar way, either by 

 distortion of countenance or other gestures, performed her part in the game. 

 This continued three quarters of an hour and, from the precaution of placing 

 a look-out who was withdrawn when it was over, as well as from some very 

 expressive signs which need not here be mentioned, there is reason to 

 believe that it is usually followed by certain indecencies, with which their 

 husbands are not to be acquainted. Kaoongut was present indeed on this 

 occasion, but his age seemed to render him a privileged person ; besides 

 which his own wife did not join in the game. 



The most common amusement however, and to which their husbands made 

 no objection, they performed at Winter Island expressly for our gratifica- 

 tion. The females, being collected to the number of ten or twelve, stood in 

 as large a circle as the hut would admit, with Okotook in the centre. He 

 began by a sort of half-howling, half-singing noise, which appeared as if 

 designed to call the attention of the women, the latter soon commencing the 

 Amna Aya song hereafter described. This they continued without variety, 

 remaining quite still while Okotook walked round Within the circle ; his body 

 was rather bent forward, his eyes sometimes closed, his arms constantly 

 moving up and down, and now and then hoarsely vociferating a word or two 

 as if to increase the animation of the singers, who, whenever he did this, 

 quitted the chorus and rose into the words of the song. At the end of ten 

 minutes they all left off at once, and after one minute's interval commenced 

 a second act precisely similar and of equal duration, Okotook continuing to 

 invoke their muse as before. A third act, which followed this, varied only 

 in his frequently towards the close throwing his feet up before and clapping 

 his hands together, by which exertion he was thrown into a violent perspira- 

 tion. He then retired, desiring a young man (who as we were informed was 

 the only individual of several then present thus qualified) to take his place 

 in the centre as master of the ceremonies, when the same antics as before 

 were again gone through. After this description it will scarcely be necessary 

 to remark that nothing can be poorer in its way than this tedious singing 

 recreation, which, as well as every thing in which dancing is concerned, they 

 express by the word mdmek-poke. They seem, however, to take great delight 

 in it ; and even a number of the men as well as all the children crept into 

 the hut by degrees to peep at the performance. 



The Esquimaux women and children often amuse themselves with a game 



