102 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



the land in visiting the shores of Wager River. The Netchillik 

 Eskimos travel through the land of the Sinimiut of Pelly Bay to 

 Eivillik (Repulse Bay). -The Eivillinmiut frequently have inter- 

 course with the Igluling tribe, who formerly visited the Cumberland 

 Sound Eskimos by the way of Majoraridjen, the country north of 

 Lake Nettilling (Lake Kennedy). Three roads are used in travel- 

 ing from Igluling to the west shore of Baffin Bay and to Lancaster 

 Sound, the most western through the fiord Tessiujang, near Cape 

 Kater, to Admiralty Inlet; the other to Ikalualuin (Arctic Sound) 

 in Eclipse Bay and the third one to Anaulereelling (Dexterity 

 Bay). The Tudnunirossirmiut sometimes cross Lancaster Sound, 

 and were found on the western part of North Devon, which they 

 call Tudjan. They cross this land and Jones Sound on sledges and 

 have intercourse with a tribe on Ellesmere Land, which they call 

 Umingmamnuna. From Bessels' researches Ave know that they 

 cross Smith Sound, for he found amongst the Ita-Eskimos a man 

 who had lived in former years amongst the Akudnimiut on the east 

 coast of Baffin Land. I myself found a. native near Cape Kater, 

 north of Home Bay, who had lived somewhere near Cape Isabella 

 at the entrance of Smith Sound for several years. 



The questions which may be settled by a more thorough knowl- 

 edge of the habits and traditions of all these and the more western 

 tribes which have scarcely been seen by any white men, may prove 

 of prime importance for the solution of the question relating to the 

 origin and migrations of this people. 



Mr. John Murdoch read the following paper on " Se.<\l Catch- 

 ing AT Point Barrow." 



The capture of seals is one of the most important of pursuits 

 among the Eskimos of the two villages at Point Barrow. A failure 

 of the seal harvest would be as disastrous to them as the failure of 

 the potato crop to the Irish, or the rice crop in India. Not only 

 does the flesh of the seal form the great staple of food, but its fat 

 furnishes them with oil to light and warm their winter houses, to 

 oil their water-proof boots and harpoon lines, and to keep the water 

 out of their skin boats. The skin serves to make their water-proof 

 boots and leggings, the soles of their winter boots, canteens, the 

 covers of the kaiaks, or small skin canoes, and, rarely, their outer 

 clothing; cut into thongs it furnishes a serviceable cord which they 

 make into nets and harpoon lines, and employ for all the varied 



