Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-10-29
A NORTHERN LEGEND.

1t was on a wild, wintry night in the
polar regions of the most northern estu-
airy of Hudson's bay that l was reposing,
half asleep, stretched out on the gray
reindeer robes that separated me from
the most curious of all couches, a bed of
snow, while the half Pickering light
from native stone lamp that looked
like half of huge clam-shell, with the
struggling bits of light along its edge,
threw its yellow, iaundiced hues against
a number of queer faces-fat, dumpy
ones that looked like obese Mongolians
painted up to initiate the facial hues of
our own Indians. Back of this group
of Esquimaux-for such they were
were the weirdly white walls of the
snow house. making the domicile look
not unlike little oval-domed, gg-shaped
pen built of tombstones. The little chill
dren were asleep in a coy corner, I'M
der the reindeer robes, great shaggy
black muskox skin being between them
and the walls of the snow house, while
the few Esquimau men in the place were
sitting on the edge of bed of snow,
their feet swathed in SKINS dangling
down to the floor of the same white ma
terial, where few dogs were prying
their noses around to catch bit of seal
or walrus meat; or they were sitting a
la Turk upon it, all of them with their
arms withdrawn from the sleeves of
their coats and crossed upon their bare
breasts underneath, and each and every
one enjoying pipe of tobacco while
thus warming their hands.
As the white smoke lazily assembled
and drifted away through the little holes
in the top of the walls of snow, l heard
the group, one by one, tell their curious
stories of the boreal chase, their dangers
ON the foes of ice, and the myths and
legends of the great north land, and one
of them. the legend of an old walrus-
hunter of the tribe l must tell:
Far. far in the mythical past, when
the ancestors of the Innuits, or Esqui-
maux. first came to this land, the blasts
of winter and its weary leagues of ice
and snow were unknown. Summer
reiQned throughout the year, and the
walrus crawled upon the rocky islets
and the stopping 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 the
tickle storms of winter. Seals sported
in the pretty little fiords, and with
spears and light skin canoes they sue
cessfully 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
IA. Al. Al.
clamorous voices filled the air. From
lake to lake their many droves wand
dered at their pleasure, but southwark
they never had to go to avoid the cold,
or because their swimming p aces were
covered with ice: and their garrulous
clatter could he heard in any month in
the year. Clouds never darkened the
Sky, and the sun never set, but swung
around the horizon, undimmed by
|nists, like some sleepless sentinel
guarding a sacred spot. 1t was the
grandest time the earth had ever seen,
DO all agreed. even the beasts and the
birds and those that lived under the
waters along the land. and SO thought
he poor Innuits (as the Esqumaux call
hemselves), who had come from a far
bff shore, desolate and devoid OF al,
such brightness and plenty.
"Who reigns in this fair land?" asked
BUR Innuit forcfathers of the peaceful
inhabitants. The deity we now worship
IS Me all TUX, the elder duck, although
we have had many before, but then the
country was never SO prosperous under
hem. Once ruled the RENDERS god,
but to please them he made all the water
INTO land bearing sweet grasses for them
o eat, and all the lakes were made into
mere puddles, where the reindeer could
rink, and everything was given to
brass 80 the seal and the walrus and the
POLAR bear suffered more than the rein
eer gained. Then the god of the whales
uled over all, and the waters COM
nenced creeping up over the land to
lease them, and soon everything thereon
would have been destroyed had not the
nusk-oxen succeeded him, and back
gain increased the land, until the poor
cal and walrus were once more in
gony for place to rest, until Tornar-
uk, chief Gsh-oo-mut-tik) of all the gods,
card their cries, and left the many
hnds he ruled to place ruler over this
ldJ WOulu 40 DetJeT. Inc utlIltS Vi all
he animals and birds and insects pressed
heir claims to rule and everyone thought
Irely the contest would be narrowed
own to choice among the more ag-
ressive animals and birds, but all were
umfounded and surprised to see the
hodest elder duck selected from the
reat throng. Me-ah-tuk, said Tornar-
nix, needs many lakes in which to breed
nd raise her young, and this creates a
reat deal of land to inclose the lakes,
nd on this land would grow the grass
pr the grazing animals. The sea and its
hlets and its floods would be needed, for
ere the full grown elders love to con-
Fegate and swim upon the dancing
Faves, and the seal and the narwhal and
be walrus need not lament.
So the deity OF the elder ducks was
hade god of all. Tornarsuk remained
mong them to see the effect, and sc
reat was the contentment and so pleased
bot ,ba, 1a Lea ho 81 h.,