168 H. P. STEENSBY. 
We next come to the stretch of coast on both sides of the mouth 
and the delta of the Mackenzie. This place, where a large river abounding 
in fish connects the inland regions with the sea, might appear to be well 
suited to participate in the development of Eskimo culture. But, never- 
theless, I do not think that this has been the case. Firstly, the district 
with its abundance of fresh water in the delta and with its abundance of 
drift-wood could permit of what we may term an “Indian” mode of life; 
it is impossible to believe that the district in question could force people 
having another mode of life to make radical and fundamental changes in 
it. Secondly, these Eskimo at the mouth of the Mackenzie did not in 
any great degree use the abundant drift-wood for fuel in winter, but 
depended upon oil lamps, which shows that their ancestors had mi- 
grated from regions where drift-wood was not abundant. It must, then, 
be assumed that the Mackenzie Eskimo have migrated along the coast 
from Coronation Gulf or adjacent parts. 
Then we have left only the Barren Grounds Peninsula, between 
the Arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay, and the Arctic Archipelago situated 
in front of the Arctic Ocean. As regards the regions more easterly than 
Hudson Bay, these are out of the question for both geographical and 
ethnographical reasons. 
Consequently, these considerations lead us to the region of the 
Arctic Archipelago, where we find the Arctic Economic Culture in its 
most tvpical form. Hence it appears that we must also assume that 
the Arctic, Archipelago is the region where the Eskimo cul- 
ture originated. 
We must suppose, then, that for some reason or other the ancient. 
Eskimo moved across the inland regions between Hudson Bay and 
the Lower Mackenzie River to the coast of the Arctic Ocean and the 
southern parts of the Archipelago, whereby Coronation Gulf and the 
Netchillik districts are especially meant; and that the Eskimo culture 
was gradually modified as an adaptation to the peculiar natural con- 
ditions existing in the Archipelago, of these natural conditions the most 
important features to be mentioned are the ice-covering, the aquatic 
mammals, the wanderings of the reindeer herds and the absence of 
wood. To these must necessarily be added, in connection with the 
times we are here considering, the musk ox; originally, it must have 
been of great importance. 
It is these natural conditions in the Archipelago or, to put it more 
exactly, in the coast and sea regions between the mainland .and the 
islands which have been able to force a slow hunting people such as 
the ancient Eskimo must have been to undertake so thorough a cultural 
change as that which the modification of the Eskimo culture must neces- 
sarily have required. 
