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Take a small sledge that will only hold her and yourself; and if Okiok or Angut offer to go with you, say that old Kannoa wants to see the girl alone, that there is a spell upon her, that she is bewitched, and will see no one else. They will trust you, for they know that your mind is weak and your heart good." "If my mind is weak," said Ippegoo somewhat sadly, "how can I ever become an angekok?"
Some of them begged me to read again the letter that I had read yesterday; and when I wished to take leave, one of the chief persons among them, the Angekok Seguliak, took me into his tent, and embracing and kissing me, said, 'We are timorous now, but when you come back again we shall meet one another without fear, dread, or suspicion. Another came with his drum and began to dance and sing, repeating often, 'Our friend is come! this makes us glad! When he concluded, he asked me to answer him.
Is it not the duty of one who would be an angekok to go away and live alone for many days fasting, and praying, and meditating? Has not Ujarak advised you to change the ancient customs? Pooh! he is a fool. You cannot succeed now. All the spirits of water, earth, and air have been insulted. This assembly must break up. You must leave off trying.
"He must be a fine man," said the sailor, becoming interested in this angekok; "tell me wherein he differs from others." "He is not only strong and wise, but he is good; and he cares nothing for our customs, or for the ways of other angekoks. He says that they are all lies and nonsense. Yes, he even says that he is not an angekok at all; but we know better, for he is. Everybody can see that he is.
Through the driving snow I could see the figure of a man crouching there before me. I ran to him, and grasped his coat to check my speed. He stood up oh, so high! Huks and groans burst at this point from the audience, who were covered with the perspiration of anxiety, which would have been cold if the place had not been so warm. "I turned and ran," continued the angekok; "the bear followed.
Strong in this faith, he ran into the large hut where a considerable party of his tribe were feasting on a recently captured walrus, and told them that something tremendous, something marrow-thrilling, had occurred to the great angekok Ujarak, who, before leaving the village, had told him that he was going off to find a a something he knew not exactly what with rings of hair all over its body, pale as the ice-floe, more wonderful than the streaming lights incomprehensible! immense!
But an Angekok said immediately, "Torngarsuk ajungilak," the great spirit is good and holy; and another added, "Ajuatangilat," nothing is impossible to him; and a third subjoined, "Saimavot," he is gracious and merciful.
Haven immediately rose, and looking the sorcerer full in the face, prayed to the Saviour to stop the mouth of that wicked one. Struck with the unexpected intrepidity of the missionary, and the appeal to a name of which they all had some knowledge, the Angekok was utterly confounded; he grumbled and foamed, but could not utter a word.
It was afternoon when they came to the valley in which dwelt the angekok, or, as Red Indians would have styled him, the medicine-man. It was a peculiar valley. Unlike other vales it had neither outlet or inlet, but was a mere circular basin or depression of vast extent, the lowest part of which was in its centre.
"I was just going to ask your wife, Okiok, what she and you think of this business of making an angekok of poor Ippegoo," said Rooney. "We think it is like a seal with its tail where its head should be, its skin in its stomach, and all its bones outside; all nonsense foolishness," answered Okiok, with more of indignation in his look and tone than he was wont to display.
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