280 



only witliin recent years that they have begun to construct 

 skin-boats, and even then only kayaks, not the larger women's 

 boats or umiaks. A group of islands like the Carey Islands 

 seems never or seldom visited by the Eskimos either by sledge 

 or by boat, though the islands can be seen from the coast 

 of the mainland. 



On EUesmere Land the Polar Eskimos had earlier never 

 passed over the relatively narrow tract of land which extends 

 between the indentations on the east coast to Bay Fjord on 

 the west side of EUesmere Land. Along the east coast they 

 have not gone very far north or south of the indentations on 

 Bache Peninsula. Nowadays, however, this has been altered 

 as the result of the influence of expeditions and the informa- 

 tion gained therefrom , and some Polars Eskimos have already 

 on their own initiative extended their horizon as far as Jones 

 Sound and the west side of EUesmere Land. 



