64 H. P. STEENSBY. 
accordance with the demands of the new methods of subsistence. 
If it were possible to study such a transition of culture on the spot, 
it must be maintained that that of pursuing the continuity in the 
methods and dexterities would be the most impressive aspect of 
cultural development which could be given. 
Some Geographical Observations on the Eskimo Domain. 
The. purely Arctic regions inhabited by the Eskimo belong 
geographically to three different domains. Towards the west one has 
the coast of the mainland as far as Dolphin and Union Strait. In 
the centre lies the great Arctic Archipelago with the adjacent main- 
land coast, and finally towards the east, like an entity in itself, lies 
Greenland. 
The coast of the mainland towards the west, which has an un- 
interrupted course without any groups of islands lying in front of it 
and is without many protected indentations, lies open towards the 
Arctic Ocean. The coast land itself, which is built up of new forma- 
tions, is low, and descends evenly into the ocean, which frequently 
has banks and bars along the coast. The Archipelago consists of a 
confusion of islands and sounds, the charting of which is due to the 
English N.W. Passage expeditions and the Franklin search-expeditions, 
and, later especially to those of GREELY and SVERDRUP. Two water- 
ways in particular are to be remarked, both of which intersect 
the Archipelago from east to west. The northern is formed by 
Lancaster Sound, Barrow Strait, Melville Sound, and Banks Strait, 
which together separate the Parry Islands towards the north from 
the more southern series of large islands which sometimes are called 
by a common name after FRANKLIN, and which consist of Baffin 
Land, North Somerset, Prince of Wales Land, Victoria Land and 
Banks Land. Along the south side of these islands runs the southern 
water-way, or North-west Passage, which follows the mainland, and 
consists of Hudson Strait, Fury and Hecla Strait, Bellot Strait, the 
waters round King William Land, Dease Strait, Coronation Gulf 
together with Dolphin and Union Strait. The two passages are 
connected by four straits, of which especially is to be noted Me. 
Clintock Channel, which runs from north-west to south-east. 
In contrast with the north-western coast lands the Archipelago 
consists of old formations. The large region of primitive rock in 
North-east America ceases at the west end of Coronation Gulf, and 
forms the southern portion of the Archipelago, for which reasons the 
