Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/139

120 clouds were kissing their tops. I knew this was an omen of bad weather. A thick fog soon settled, and this, on the following day, August 30th, turned into cold and wet, confining me the whole time to our tent. During the day Puto was in our tupic cutting out a jacket for Kooperneung's wife. The skins were of a kind of seals called by the natives kus-se-gear, which has softer hair than some other species, and visits salt and fresh water alike. These skins being beautifully mottled and glossy, make fine-looking dresses, and are much prized by the Innuits. Koomuk, wife of Toolookaah, both of Sekoselar, brought me a huge reindeer tongue. In return I gave her some beads, which greatly delighted her. Tweroong was there at the time, and I asked her what she had done with the beads I had recently presented her. Her reply was that she had given them to the angeko for his services in her sickness. As she was a truly generous, kind-hearted woman, I selected a few more and gave them to her, and in returning the remainder to a little tin case, in which I kept my journal, observation books, and a few other precious things, my eye rested on the Bible. I took it out and held it up before the women, saying, "This talks to me about Kood-le-par-mi-ung (heaven)." If a flash of lightning had come down into the tupic with all its blaze it could not have had a more sudden effect than what I said and showed to them. At first they looked affrighted, but the next instant smiles of great joy appeared upon their countenances. I never shall forget that moment. Tweroong was sitting by my side on some furs spread upon the ground, making a sketch for me of the coast on the north side of Hudson's Strait, while Koomuk was lying on the grass by the tent door, with her head inside, facing us. On the instant that I said the Bible talked to me of heaven they both sprang up, apparently banishing all thought of everything else from their minds, and expressed a wish that I should talk to them about what it said to me. My imperfect knowledge of their language, however, precluded me from telling them much that it did say. Neither could I do more, when Tweroong