397 



tion here — by Inspector H. Winge — has proved that among 

 the land animals it was chiefly the musk-ox, which served the 

 Eskimos for food. Reindeer bones occur but in smaller quan- 

 tity. Phoca foetida was found in considerable quantity every- 

 where at the settlements". Bones of hare, bear, walrus, bearded 

 seal, narwhal, Greenland whale, salmon etc. also occurred. 



We now have evidence from various sides with regard to 

 the importance the musk-ox has had for the Eskimos , right 

 from the regions between Repulse Bay and Back River ^ to 

 North-East Greenland. Both the Barren Grounds Eskimos and 

 the Polar Eskimos are very fond of musk-ox flesh and fat. 

 Its fat can also replace the blubber for the lamps, its skin can 

 be used for clothes, and its horns for various implements ^. 



But we may now ask: if the occurrence of the musk-ox 

 has played so great a part for the migrations of the Eskimos, 

 why is it that we do not find the musk-ox regions inhabited at 

 the present day? — The answer is quite simply: because a 

 lasting settlement of a hunting-people can only occur at the 

 places, where there is always some reserve means of obtaining 

 food should the hunting fail at any time. In the temperate 

 regions there are roots and fruits of plants, bark (e.g. birch- 

 bark) etc. The polar regions do not have such easily obtained 

 plant-materials; but among the Polar Eskimos, for example, 

 the bird-hunting is such a reserve livelihood in the summer, 

 whilst the seal hunting and in part the walrus hunting are the 

 same in winter. For most of the more southerly arctic Eskimo 

 tribes, fish is the reserve food in summer, and for the sub- 

 arctic tribes this holds good throughout the year. 



As already mentioned, the coast from Cape York to Etah 

 is, however, an oasis in comparison with other regions in the 

 same latitude. Robeson Channel is poor in seal, walrus and 

 bears; west of Ellesmere Land the norlliern limit for the seal 



' F. Boas, The Central Eskimos. P. 460 ct seq. 

 2 cf. Nathorst, I.e., p. 143, Note. 



26' 



