OF THE POLAR SEA. 147 



great rapidity of utterance, and the speaker 

 retained his squatting posture, but turned 

 his face to his god. At its conclusion, the 

 priest began a hymn, of which the burthen 

 was, " I will walk with God, I will go with 

 the animal;" and, at the end of each 

 stanza, the rest joined in an insignificant 

 chorus. He next took up a calumet, filled 

 with a mixture of tobacco and bear-berry 

 leaves, and holding its stem by the middle, 

 in a horizontal position, over the hot stones, 

 turned it slowly in a circular manner, fol- 

 lowing the course of the sun. Its mouth- 

 piece being then with much formality held 

 for a few seconds to the face of Kepoochi- 

 kawn, it was next presented to the earth, 

 having been previously turned a second 

 time over the hot stones ; and afterwards, 

 with equal ceremony, pointed in succession 

 to the four quarters of the sky ; then draw- 

 ing a few whiffs from the calumet himself, 

 he handed it to his left hand neighbour, by 

 whom it was gravely passed round the 

 circle ; the interpreter and myself, who 

 were seated at, the door, were asked to par- 

 l2 



