22 



mediators. The way which is used for this intercourse, already 

 mentioned by Simpson, is formed by the Nunatak, Kuwak and 

 Selavik rivers to the west, and the Colville river to the north, 

 in connection with lakes. The Kuwak especially was investig- 

 ated into the interior, Eskimo dwellings being met with the 

 whole way. On the banks of a tributary river from the south, 

 the Umakuluk, inhabitants of the same race were found who 

 never had seen white men before. Relatively to the high northern 

 latitude, the vegetation here shows an extraordinary luxuriance, 

 trees being found measuring two feet in diameter. These 

 natives had birch-bark canoes. Along the banks of the said 

 three rivers together, they numbered somewhat more than 

 800 souls. 



If these facts relating to the distribution of the present 

 population of Alaska and its remnants from an earlier period 

 are taken into account, it might with some reason be said to 

 have still maintained the appearance of a country peopled by 

 Eskimo in the interior, as well as on its sea shore, in conti- 

 nual intercourse with each other, like that of the supposed 

 culture home, with the only difference, that the conflux to the 

 latter from a still farther off interior, and, at the same time 

 the spreading of emigrants from it over the arctic regions has 

 ceased. To the said remnants, properly speaking, ought to be 

 added the well known immense refuse heaps on the Aleutian 

 islands explored by Dall. Certainly nothing can be ascertained 

 concerning the nationality of the ancient settlers to whom the 

 remnants are due, but still the latter, at any rate, indicate that 

 a tendency to directing their migrations towards the north 

 western sea shores has prevailed among a certain part of the 

 aboriginal tribes of North America. However, we still must 

 bear in mind that, notwithstanding what we have asserted in 

 favour of Alaska as the culture home, this as yet remains a 

 hypothesis. The origin of the Eskimo from Asia is still not 

 suifOciently disproved, and this holds good of the surmise too 



