eful--for an Eskimo. Among her
other charms, modesty and good-nature shone conspicuous. She was in all
respects a superior counterpart of her mother, and her name was Nunaga.
Nuna was small, Nunaga was smaller. Nuna was comparatively young,
Nunaga was necessarily younger. The former was kind, the latter was
kinder. The mother was graceful and pretty, the daughter was more
graceful and prettier. Nuna wore her hair gathered on the top of her
head into a high top-knot, Nunaga wore a higher top-knot. In regard to
costume, Nuna wore sealskin boots the whole length of her legs--which
were not long--and a frock or skirt reaching nearly to her knees, with a
short tail in front and a long tail behind; Nunaga, being similarly
clothed, had a shorter tail in front and a longer tail behind.

It may be interesting to note here that Eskimos are sometimes named
because of qualities possessed, or appearance, or peculiar circumstances
connected with them. The word Nuna signifies "land" in Eskimo. We
cannot tell why this particular lady was named Land, unless it were that
she was born on the land, and not on the ice; or perhaps because she was
so nice that when any man came into her company he might have thought
that he had reached the land of his hopes, and was disposed to settle
down there and remain. Certainly many of the Eskimo young men seemed to
be of that mind until Okiok carried her off in triumph. And let us tell
you, reader, that a good and pretty woman is as much esteemed among the
Eskimos as among ourselves. We do not say that she is better treated;
neither do we hint that she is sometimes treated worse.

The Eskimo word Nunaga signifies "_my_ land," and was bestowed by Okiok
on his eldest-born in a flood of tenderness at her birth.

Apologising for this philological digression, we proceed. Besides Nuna
and Nunaga there was a baby boy--a fat, oily, contented boy--without a
name at that time, and without a particle of clothing of any sort, his
proper condition of heat being maintained when out of doors chiefly by
being carried between his mother's dress and her shoulders; also by
being stuffed to repletion with blubber.

The whole family cried out vigorously with delight, in various keys,
when the team came yelping home with the Kablunet. Even the baby gave a
joyous crow--in Eskimo.

But the exclamations were changed to pity when the Kablunet was assisted
to rise, and staggered feebly towards the hut, even whe