, 1886-10-03
A NORTHERN LEGEND.

AIRY iuuSo 70, -" -. ~ arav
nan asleep, S're.oneu n -,
~reuhueer iopes ''as ~a,aLas had Of
.he Nus. ,ro haif e;cLar;,o l;gbt
sfo"' 80 Iaun that Iooled
~ d 49, - Ill ..;,L ,ha
IKE a. -. 80 ~ aana
~ IL, aSnd;aad 80 aoa;ns,
'"e n~ 80 f., dvn,nv
ilo TO-, ,oa,,at H. ahasa Wo,aol;ans
on - H. fao;aI huas ~
pn Iama p.oI- - III 49,
~ Tsan;nnam~"for su.h tha,, waroF
go tha u-a;rdIv wh;,e ,voiis o. tho
sna,, bo,so maLina tho donic;le ,ooL
80 'nIilaa ,;,tIa a-onSsbanad
80 h,,;i, - tanshs,aaos NJ Gs.ia Iii
l- sHaaIonn ~ 49,
ias ,ha ra;"daar - n, sh.am,
Ill - - - - ,han,
and ,l,a ,raIIs ~ H. - ho,sa while
,ha faw E,nn;naon ,nan i, ,ha Mace were
s;t,;ra On tha adaa ~ n he'd If snow
III. To-, a,matLe5 /, sL;ns danol;rg
1o,r, 20 tba eoor ~ tha sama ,vbita mn.
,ar;ai u.hara fav, DIS vera nrving
,ho;r nosao around 10 catcb n hit Of seai
or u,alrns meat. ar tbev were sitting a
Ia Turk tpnp IL oil nf fhana with THAR
arn,o r;,hdraur fro,, do sIao,os ~
,he;r coots and crossed unon their hare
breasts underneath and each and everv
ono on loving nine Of tobacco while
thua wormino their hands
A. tho white smoLa laz;lv .scardad
and dr;f,ed away ,hrouob the Itt,e holes
in the ton Of the walls Of snow I heard
tho oroun ono nv ono toll tbeir curious
stories Of the horeaI chase their hangers
ON the foes of ice. and the mvths and
loao,ds ~ tho araat worth lord ard ono
Of tbem tho legend of nm old vva,r,s.
hunter If tbe tribe I must toll,
Gar far in tho mvtbicol nast wba,
the ancestors of the %Innuits or Esoui-
maux. frat came to this land. the blasts
of winter and its weary leagues of ice
and snow were unknown Summer
reioned throughout the wear. and the
walrns crawled upon the rocky islets
and the slopninp shores instead of cakes
and vast foes of ice. and were there Sc
cured by the merry hearted hunters.
who never knew of famine from ths
tickle storms of winter. Seals sported
In the pretty little Hords and with
spears and LIGHT skin canoes thew suc-
cessfulIy hunted them the year round.
Flowers grew upon the banks of the
lakes, and ice was unknown upon their
waters, while in myriad droves the elder
duck and guillemot and snowy goose
1oated upon their bosoms. and their
clamorous voices filled the air. From
lake to lake their many droyes wand
dersd at their pleasure. but southwark
they never had to 90 to avoid the cold,
or because their swimming p.aces were
covered with ice; and their garrulous
clatter could be heard in any month in
the year. Clouds nsver darkened the
sky. and the sun never set, but swung
around the horizon, undimmed by
mists, like some s~leepless sentinel
guarding a sacred spot. 1t was the
grandest time the earth had ever seen,
80 all agreed. even the beasts and the
birds and those that lived under the
waters along the land. and so thought
the poor Innuits las the Esaufmaux call
themselves), who had come from q far
off shore, desolate and devoid Of all
such brightness and plenty.
"Who reigns il this fair landfr asked
our lnnuit forcfathers OF the peaceful
inhabitants. The deity we now worship
is Me-ah-tuk, the elder G,.ck. although
we nave had many before, but then the
country was never so prosperous under
them. Once ruled the RENDERS god,
but to please them he made all the water
into land bearing sweet grasses for them
10 eat. and all the lakes were made into
mere puddles. where the reindeer could
drink. and everything was given to
grass 40 the seal and the walrus and the
polar bear suffered more than the rein
deer gained. Then the god of the whales
ruled over all, and the waters com
menced creepinc ND over the land to
please them. and sooS everything thereon
would have been DESTROYED had not the
musk-oxen succeeded him. and back
ngain increased the land, until the poor
seal and walrus were once more in
agony for a place TO rest, until Tornar-
snk. chief Gsh-oo-mut-tik) of all the gods,
heard their cries, and left the many
lands he ruled to place a ruler over this
that would do better. The deities of all
the animals and birds and insects pressed
their claims to rule. and everyone thought
surely the contest would be narrowed
down to a choice among the more ag-
gressive animals and birds, but all were
dumfounded and surprised to see the
modest elder duck selected from the
great throng. Me-ah-tuk, said Tornar-
suk, needs many lakes in which to breed
and raise her young, and this creates a
great deal Of land to inclose the lakes,
and on this land would grow the grass
for the grazing animals. The sea and its
inlets and its floods would be needed, for
here the full grown elders love to on
gregate and swim upon the dancing
waves. and the seal and the narwhal and