LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
199 
this according to their opinion, cannot be effected by any other 
means than by a personal visit to his submarine dwelling, and 
threatening him with instant chastisement, unless he reforms his 
conduct. This the Angekok undertakes to perform, and the 
ceremony begins with his stripping himself naked and extend¬ 
ing himself on the ground, when he is immediately covered 
with a large mat, and every glimpse of light is excluded. He 
then utters some strange incantations consisting of sounds hardly 
articulate, and to which perhaps it would be impossible to attach 
the slightest meaning. He now modulates his voice as to leave his 
dupes to bel ieve that he is descending to the lower regions, and his 
voice gradually dies away, as if he were by degrees getting lower 
until the sound of his voice is lost altogether. The credulous crea¬ 
tures now sit in solemn silence, in all the intensity of anxious ex¬ 
pectation, notasouud is heard among them, even the respiration 
of their breath is stifled as much as possible, in order that the 
first sound of the returning Angekok may be heard, which is 
announced by a slow murmur, gradually increasing in strength, 
until the appearance of the Angekok may be momentarily ex¬ 
pected. This farce lasts about twenty-five minutes, and some¬ 
times it has been known to extend to an hour, but then it is only 
when the evil genius has offered great resistance, and that the 
exertions of the Angekok have been put to the utmost stretch to 
overcome him. The moment of his arrival is made known by a 
private signal to his Torngak or his wife, who proceeds imme¬ 
diately to admit the light by degrees, until on a sudden the 
Angekok emerges from under the mat, and the whole assembly 
rise, uttering the most discordant shouts and by their gestures 
exhibiting the most frantic joy. 
One indisputable proof of his converse with the spirits below, 
are some strips of fur, which have been fastened on his fur coat, 
by one of the spirits, which the natives can satisfactorily vouch, 
were not attached to his coat previously to his descent, but 
which have been artfully attached to it, during his temporary 
absence, by his wife or his Torngak. He then proceeds to 
describe the result of his mission, and of course, he is always 
victorious. He describes his battle with the evil genius as truly 
