Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 2.djvu/198

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THE ANVIL.
179

few Innuits were able to raise it from the ground. Suzhi, at my request, has just made a pencil sketch of its shape—at least, as near as she could. She evidently never took a pencil in her hand before. Ugarng, who is quite experienced in map sketching, has marked out its shape on the same leaf as Koo-ou-le-arng's (Suzhi's) sketch. This has some correspondence to the delineation of the one Artarkparu made some days since." Later:—

"This minute, 10.15 a.m. have found out just what this relic is. It is an anvil! such as were made in former times, without a horn.

"To get at this, I got Ugarng to cut out with his knife its representation in wood. When he finished it I held it out, asking 'Kis-su?'—that is, What was the heavy iron at Oopungnewing formerly used for? His answer was an intelligible one, and one that determines the nature of this important relic beyond all question. Before I give it I will say that this Innuit has been to the States (vide page 101, vol. i.). While there he desired to and did visit various manufacturing establishments, being himself naturally of a mechanical turn of mind. I will now give his answer on stating that holding the index finger of his left hand on the little carved


UGARNG'S WOOD MODEL OF THE
IRON RELIC.
ARTARKPARU'S WOOD MODEL OF THE
IRON RELIC.

block as I held it up, with his other hand angled into fist and raised above finger to represent hammer, he said, 'All the same as blacksmith.' This expression, in connexion with his pertinent symbolizing, settles the matter satisfactorily to