264 
VOYAGE TO THE 
CHAP, tality. Seeing our reluctance, they tried us with another dish, consisting 
of the raw flesh of the narwhal nicely cut into lumps, with an equal 
August, distribution of black and white fat ; but they w'ere not more successful 
1826 . , , „ 
here than at iirst. 
An old man then braced a skin upon a tambourine frame, and 
striking it with a bone gave the signal for a dance, which was imme- 
diately performed to a chorus of Angna aya ! angna aya ! the tam- 
bourine marking time by being flourished and twirled about against a 
short stick instead of being struck. The musician, who was also the 
principal dancer, jumped into the ring, and threw his body into different 
attitudes until quite exhausted, and then resigned his office to another, 
from whom it passed to a lad who occasioned more merriment by his 
grimaces and ludicrous behaviour than any of his predecessors. His 
song was joined by the young women, who until then had been mute and 
almost motionless, but who now acquitted themselves with equal spirit 
with their leader, twisting their bodies, twirling their arms about, and 
violently? rubbing their sides with their garments, which, from some 
ridiculous associations no doubt, occasioned considerable merriment. 
Against an obscure part of the cliff near the village was a broad 
iron-headed halberd placed erect, with several bows and quivers of 
arrows ; and near them a single arrow, with a tuft of feathers attached 
to it, suspended to the rock. The Esquimaux were reluctant to answer 
our inquiries concerning this arrangement, and were much displeased 
when we approached the place. From the conduct of the natives at 
Schismareff Inlet toward Captain Kotzebue, it is not impossible that 
the shooting of this arrow" may be a signal of hostility, as the nations of 
that place, after eying him attentively and suspiciously, paddled quickly 
away, and threw two arrows with bunehes of feathers fastened to them 
toward their habitations, whence shortly afterwards issued two baidars, 
who approached Captain Kotzebue with very doubtful intentions. 
Upon an eminence beyond this cliff we found several dogs tethered 
to stakes ; and all the little children of the village, wdio had perhaps 
been sent out of the way, and who, on seeing us, set up a general 
lamentation. 
After viewing this village we ascended Cape Thomson, and dis- 
