Ethnographic Description of the Eskimo Settlements 211 



free of snow will possibly discover stone remains, both here and at 

 other places on the row of islands. 



District IV. Skærfjorden. 



Кар Philippe^ (lat. 77° 38', long. 17° 45'). Here ca. 8 permanent 

 meat-depots and 1 fox-trap were found. 



Кар Philippe is the most easterly point on He de France. 



On this Island it is only the two outermost points east and 

 west on the southern stretch of coast which have been suitable for 

 occupation, and the most westerly point especially, Кар St. Jacques, 

 has been suitable as a tent place, whereas the low, clay point, 

 Кар Philippe, offers such heavy travelling in the summer owing 

 to the mud, that it is probably not favourable as a camping 

 ground. Nor did we find any tent-rings there but only some 8, al- 

 most equally large meat-depots (12). (Birds, walrus, fjord seal, narwhal.) 



These depots lay at a height of a couple of meters above the 

 sea, quite close to the shore and they were placed between and on 

 both sides of two natural depressions on the coast line — almost 

 like slips, where at high and low water it would be easy to drag 

 up the heavy marine animals on to the dry land. The perma- 

 nent meat-depots were 2 — 3 meter in diameter externally, con- 

 structed of large stones, and some were not empty. When we re- 

 moved the covering stones, we found many bones at several places, 

 mostly walrus bones, projecting out of the ice which filled the in- 

 terior, but the conditions did not permit us to examine so closely 

 as we wished. 



On April 23rd 1907 there was open water round about the point 

 on both sides. From the heights we saw a stretch of many square 

 kilometers with new ice and openings in the ice. From Кар Amélie 

 in March 1908 Captain Koch saw open water in a wide expanse at 

 Кар Philippe. It is probably due to special currents that open water 

 is often found here throughout the winter, and the possibilities for 

 hunting would thus be greater. 



The Eskimos have probably skinned and laid their booty in the 

 depots at Кар Philippe, and then later transported it to the winter- 

 settlements, unless these have been snow-houses on the spot, which 

 is not at all inconceivable. 



On the higher part of the Island, nearer towards Кар St. Jacques, 

 we found a fox-trap (13) ^ 77 M. long, 025 M. broad and 030 M.'' 



^ Cf. Amdrup 2: p. 239; Kollm: p. 563; Bergendahl: p. 343; Due dOrlkans 2: 

 p. 12 and Peterm. Mitth. 1905: p. 216. - Cf. Bergendahl: pp.343 etc.; Due 

 d'Orléans 1 : p. 228 and Due d'Orléans 2: p. 12. ^ M. means meters everywhere. 



