"MENDING" GUNS WITH SION'S

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1921, Page 1

"MENDING" GUNS WITH SION'S

■Hy 11. I Icsketh-I’i iahiird. the wellknown big-game hunter A - novelist). It is not given to imuii white men to watch the Eskimos “mend" their guns in tact, I should never myself have seen it had not been that I i 'lanced to he one day nil the high. dills above the little settlement of liopednle in Labrador, and that I had my telescope with me. I was keeping n desultory look-out, and presently i saw a number of Eskimos issuing from the village and going down to the leach. 1 hey all gathered around, and I saw that two or three of them had rifles.

One of them put up a mark, and presently they began firing at itAfter each shot the\ indulged m a great deal of talk, and even gesticulation, to which these stolid hunters me not prone on ordinary occasions. l’rasent Iy through my glass I saw one of the Eskimos pick up a largo stone and commence heating his gun with it.. When be had done this tor :m e little time he threw down the done and had another shot at the mark, alter which all the Eskimos raised a cry. seemingly ol delight, and tic shooter went down to look at the mark. Alter gazing nt it intently I.e returned and again hammered the gun «''*h M stone, both times on the barrel. 'Hum he had another shot, niter winch Meiwas a still louder ('"*> *’l approval I v. as i bur'on gld v in I m e-ted. an 1 watched the other two Eskimo: who had guns, both of whom ant care I to MU . tli heat them in tlm same way on the ha 11 el wit It a heavy stone. When late | arose I ruin my plan; and tried to join the group, they laden away ill all iliic.-lions. Evidently I had been watching ''thing not meant for the white mans eu*. However, 1 made inquire'-, and tee matter was explained to me b.\ a a oia vinn missionary. ti 'ltis a singular thing. -aid be. •■hut no Eskimo believe- u title will shoo, until he has 'mended’ M. | It neenut nnntiT Imw now or 1 !<> u<v ‘ pen is. lie t ill always take u out. anin tig* presence of his friends will ‘straighten tlm barrel.’ as he rails it. -lie i- intensely shy ol .allowing even us missionaries to see him at nwork, and those hunleis you were watching 10-clay would certainly neve, have continued Itml tln\v von were watching them ihrougli a

W»li»Mope. , , . . , • At ri-rt.iin seasons tli<\v do a lot <>» iliis -liioiulinu;’ of guns. I'" 1 ' | (l r,,iv. tho deer limit. oiiimc-i "t I In- swing. ami again before 1 K ‘ sM '- hunting dates, they always lake eaie lo fulfil this rite.” Alter this I used oltcii to esamni ■ the cities of Kskimo hunters when 1 oot the ehaiieo. as 1 oiten dal "lan limitiiiy; with them. Ml of them Imre the tell-tale mnik-. of "mending.” It is a., undoubted fact that the Kskimo would have no | ; ,ilh m a idle that had. not been put through the mending P''''*'s', l"st as a liuliter of the Caucasus bathes hi - idle in a mountain stream at which no annual has yet drunk that day to eti sure success in the chase.