INNUITS DESIRE TO HEAR OF HEAVEN. 



401 



saucer. And a most strange sight it was, here amid the gray old 

 rocks, and among this iron people, to see such an emblem of civ- 

 ilization as a tea-saucer. It was brim full of ripe,. luscious berries, 

 which were then very abundant. . 



As I descended from, the mountains I saw that the white clouds 

 were kissing their tops. I knew this was an omen of bad weath- 

 er. A thick fog soon settled, and this, on the following day, Au- 

 gust 30th, turned into cold and wet, confining me the whole time 

 to our tent. During the day Puto was in our tupic cutting out 

 a jacket for Kooperneung's wife. The skins were of a kind of 

 seals called by the natives Jcus-se-gear, which has softer hair than 

 some other species, and visits salt and fresh water alike. These 

 skins, being beautifully mottled and glossy, make fine-looking 

 dresses, and are much prized by the Innuits. Koomuk, wife of 

 Toolookaah, both of Sekoselar, brought me a huge reindeer 

 tongue. In return I gave her some beads, which greatly delight- 

 ed her. Tweroong was there at the time, and I asked her what 

 she had done with the beads I had recently presented her. Her 

 reply was that she had given them to the angeko for his services 

 in her sickness. As she was a truly generous, kind-hearted wom- 

 an, I selected a few more and gave them to her, and in returning 

 the remainder to a little tin case, in which I kept my journal, ob- 

 servation books, and a few other precious things, my eye rested 

 on the Bible. I took it out and held it up before the women, say- 

 ing, "This talks to me about Kood-le-par-mi-ung (heaven)." 



If a flash of lightning had come down into the tupic with all its 

 blaze it could not have had a more sudden effect than what I said 

 and showed to them. At first the}?" looked affrighted, but the 

 next instant smiles of great joy appeared upon their countenances. 

 I never'shall forget that moment. Tweroong was sitting by my 

 side on some furs spread upon the ground, making a sketch for 

 me of the coast on the north side of Hudson's Strait, while Koo- 

 muk was lying on the grass by the tent door, with her head in- 

 side, facing us. On the instant that I said the Bible talked to me 

 of heaven they both sprang up, apparently banishing all thought 

 of every thing else from their minds, and expressed a wish that 

 I should talk to them about what it said to me. My imperfect 

 knowledge of their language, however, precluded me from tell- 

 ing them much that it did say. Neither could I do more, when 

 Tweroong asked me if it talked about Ad-le-par-me-un, point- 

 ing down, than to answer in the affirmative, bringing forth more 



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