ETHNOLOGY. 



FRAGMENTARY NOTES ON THE ESKIMO OF CUMBERLAND SOUND. 



By Ludwig Kumlien. 



The Cimibei'laiid Straits, Sound, Gulf, or lulet, extends from about 

 lat. 05° X. to lat. 07^ + N. It is the Cumberland Straits of Baffin, its 

 original discoverer at the end of the sixteenth century ; the Hogarth 

 Sound of Captain Penny, who rediscovered it in 1839; and the North- 

 umberland lidet of Captain Wareham in 1841. 



During the last quarter century it has often been visited by Scotch 

 and American whalemen, ships frequently wintering on the southwest- 

 ern shores. 



It is at present unknown if it be a sound or gulf; it is generally con- 

 sidered as a gulf, but some Eskimo say that the Kingwah Fjord, one of 

 the arms extending to the NE., opens into a large expanse of water, 

 to them unknown. Icebergs are also sometimes found in this fjord that, 

 from their i)Ositions, seem to have come from the northward, and not 

 from the south. 



iDhe eastern shore of this sound forms the western boundaiy of that 

 portion of Cumberland Island which lies between its waters and l>a^is 

 Straits, and known as the Penny Peninsula. 



In about lat. (50° N. the Ivingnite Fjord extends from the sound in an 

 ENE. direction, and nearly joins Exeter Sound from Davis Straits; 

 they are separated only by a portage of a few miles. The Cumberland 

 Eskimo make frequent excursions to the eastern shore via these fjords, 

 but seem to have extended their migrations but a short distance north- 

 ward, finding Cumberland Sound more to tlieir tastes. 



The width of Cumberland Sound opposite Niantilic is about thirty 

 miles, possibly its widest part. It is indented by nuincrous and large 

 fjords, few, if any, of them having been explored ; niiiiiy islands are scat- 

 tered along botli shores, and in some instances form quite considerable 

 groups. 



The present Eskimo are few in numbers. We would estimate the 



entire population, men, women, and ehildren, on both sides of tlie sound, 



Jl 



