as rarely that we
visited their habitations without seeing some engaged in them. One of
these our gentlemen saw at Winter Island, on an occasion when most of
the men were absent from the huts on a sealing excursion, and in this
Iligliuk was the chief performer. Being requested to amuse them in this
way, she suddenly unbound her hair, platted it, tied both ends together
to keep it out of her way, and then stepping out into the middle of the
hut, began to make the most hideous faces that can be conceived, by
drawing both lips into her mouth, poking forward her chin, squinting
frightfully, occasionally shutting one eye, and moving her head from
side to side as if her neck had been dislocated. This exhibition, which
they call _=ay=ok~it-t=ak-poke_, and which is evidently
considered an accomplishment that few of them possess in perfection,
distorts every feature in the most horrible manner imaginable, and
would, I think, put our most skilful horse-collar grinners quite out of
countenance.

The next performance consists in looking steadfastly and gravely
forward, and repeating the words _t~ab=ak-tabak, k~eib=o-keibo,
k~e-b=ang-~e-n=u-t~o-~e~ek, kebang-enutoeek, ~am=at~am=a-amatama_, in
the order in which they are here placed, but each at least four times,
and always by a peculiar modulation of the voice, speaking them in pairs
as they are coupled above. The sound is made to proceed from the throat
in a way much resembling ventriloquism, to which art it is indeed an
approach. After the last _amatama_ Iligliuk always pointed with her
finger towards her body, and pronounced the word _angetkook,_ steadily
retaining her gravity for five or six seconds, and then bursting into a
loud laugh, in which she was joined by all the rest. The women sometimes
produce a much more guttural and unnatural sound, repeating principally
the word _=ikk~er~ee-ikkeree_, coupling them as before, and staring in
such a manner as to make their eyes appear ready to burst out of their
sockets with the exertion. Two or more of them will sometimes stand up
face to face, and with great quickness and regularity respond to each
other, keeping such exact time that the sound appears to come from one
throat instead of several. Very few of the females are possessed of this
accomplishment, which is called _pitkoo-she-r=ak-poke_, and it is not
uncommon to see several of the younger females practising it. A third
part of the game, distinguished by the word _keit=ik-pok