father or mother of the family. The prayer—for it can hardly be called anything else—is loaded with superstition. The parent prepares for the ceremony by placing a "poalo," or mit, upon the left hand. Then, bending over the afflicted one, he or she mutters, wails and gesticulates in the strangest manner, also blowing with the mouth and motioning the departure of the evil spirit. This kind of audible supplication is often carried on for a considerable length of time.
The Eskimo, like almost every other people under the sun, possesses some form of worship, and believes in a spirit world. He believes in the existence somewhere of good and evil spirits, which govern and control this world. The Great Good Spirit (Cood-la-pom-e-o), they believe, dwells in an upper world, of which the sky is the floor; but the evil spirits, governed by their chief, "Tornarsuk," dwell in a world beneath ours, which forms a kind of great roof over the world below. The earth and this under-world are connected with each other by certain mountain clefts, and by various entrances from the sea. The spirits of those who meet with violent deaths go to dwell with Cood-la-pom-e-o, in the upper world; but for those who die from other causes there is a place prepared below in the land of plenty, with the evil spirits.
These latter deities are supposed to have the greater power of the two upon earth, and consequently their favor is sought, and to them supplication is usually made, though over certain forces, events and circumstances the Great Good Spirit is supposed to have control. For example, he is believed to be the deity governing the frosts, so that in the fall of the year, when the ice is
