THE ESKIMOS : THEIR ORIGIN 25 



number of the occupants as, perhaps, is natural, 

 seeing that perfection can be attained by few is 

 very small. Various calculations make the total 

 of all the Eskimos range from 20,000 to 40,000. 



Some authorities make five divisions of the 

 Eskimos, according to the distributions of their 

 tribes, extending from Greenland on the East to 

 Alaska on the West, and going as far south as the 

 Eastern and Western shores of Hudson's Bay. 

 But there is not enough certainty about these 

 divisions to make it worth while to discuss them. 

 It is sufficient to say that those to whom the reader 

 will be introduced are almost exclusively those of 

 the central division on the Eastern shores of the 

 Hudson's Bay and Cumberland Sound. 



Before the advent of the white man there was 

 more movement of the tribes-men than now for 

 purposes of barter and exchange. The peculiar 

 stone used for making kettles, driftwood, ivory, 

 and kindred articles were all objects of value and 

 caused intercourse for purposes of trade. But 

 now, owing to the establishment of whaling and 

 other stations, the geographical areas of the tribes 

 are more circumscribed and confined, as each sta- 

 tion is a centre of trade where most of the neces- 

 saries of life can be obtained. 



As to their origin, it is extremely doubtful 

 whether they came from Asia or America. There are 

 different authorities of, perhaps, almost equal weight 

 who support each theory. 



