212 H. P. STEENSBY. 
fluence has come from Asia. How great an extent the supposed accul- 
turation territory, or the domain of direct influence, has had is a great 
question in itself, which at the present moment cannot possibly be solved. 
From this domain the Eskimo culture in its improved and enriched 
form then extended partly to South Alaska as Subarctic Eskimo culture 
and partly in a northerly and easterly direction along the coast of the 
Arctic Ocean along the old Palæeskimo paths of distribution, where it 
had to emphasize the Arctic sides of the economic culture, whereby it 
had occasion to improve and enrich the Palæeskimo culture. In a Sub- 
arctic direction, to be sure, an increased impetus together with occupation 
of new land has taken place on this occasion, but apart from this the 
Neoeskimo have no doubt only followed old roads, inasmuch as the 
Palæeskimo probably already had occupied, or at any rate visited, all 
the districts which might harbour an Arctic Eskimo culture. As already 
stated, the Neoeskimo had easier conditions for their migrations, be- 
cause they wandered back along known routes. Added to this is, that 
they had a richer and better economic culture, and also that they no 
doubt were considerably more numerous. For these reasons one dare 
assume that their advance took place somewhat quicker than that of 
the Palæeskimo?. 
When these migrations of the Neoeskimo commenced, how long they 
lasted, and how many surges started from Alaska, are all questions 
which cannot be answered with any certainty. A little consideration, 
however, seems to show us that the Neoeskimo migrations can only 
have taken place within a fixed and rather limited period. When 
these migrations began the weak Palæeskimo populations along the 
north-coast of America and the Archipelago could scarcely have 
formed any barrier to them. Such a barrier was formed, however, as 
soon as more powerful and numerous Neoeskimo populations arose 
which were able to preserve their hunting-districts against invaders. 
Then there was again equilibrium amongst the Eskimo groups, and 
1 Possibly there are some domains round which the Neoeskimo surge of people 
has passed. I could imagine this being the case at Southampton Island in 
Hudson Bay. The peculiar, old fashioned Eskimo culture of this island 
should therefore be of relatively uninfluenced Palæeskimo origin. On the other 
hand there are matters which indicate that the neighbouring Melville Eskimo 
are more influenced from the Bering regions than is the case with most of 
the other central Eskimo; possibly this has some connection with the walrus 
and whale hunting at the Melville Peninsula. For the rest the Neoeskimo in- 
fluence in the central districts of the Archipelago seems to have been relatively 
smaller both as regards culture and anthropology, probably because the 
Neoeskimo form of economic culture was badly suited to this region. The 
Neoeskimo from Alaska were whale hunters besides being seal hunters, and 
the access to whale hunting which is lacking in the central Archipelago pro- 
bably brought about their wandering, for preference, to more eastern regions, 
to which they were allured by the access to whale hunting. 
