132 cruise OF THE NEPTUNE 
along the entire northern coast of the continent to Alaska. A 
large number inhabit Baffin island and Nottingham island. The 
west part of Hudson strait is peopled by a band of these natives, 
while occasional small parties cross Lancaster sound to North 
Devon island, and, continuing northward, come in contact with 
the natives of north Greenland at Smith sound. To the west- 
ward of Hudson bay, the Eskimos are mostly confined to the 
continent, and only make occasional visits to the southern shores 
of the large' islands off the Arctic coast. 
A considerable number of Eskimos, forming small communi- 
ties, inhabit the east coast of Greenland from its southern end 
up to Melville bay, where a stretch of uninhabited coast occurs 
between the southern settlements and the home of the arctic 
highlanders at Smith sound, there forming the most northern 
permanent settlement of the human race. This is on the east 
side of the sound, between 74 and 77 N. latitude, or from 
Cape York to the southern side of the great humboldt glacier. 
At the time of the European discovery of the northern parts 
of America, the Eskimos extended along the coasts consider- 
ably south of their present limits. They occupied the 
entire Atlantic coast of Labrador, and lived far along the north 
shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Eskimos and Indians 
have always been open enemies. With the advent of the whites, 
the Indians soon became possessed of firearms, which gave them 
a great advantage over their northern foes, who were compelled 
to retreat beyond the tree-limit in the northern regions; here 
they were safe, as the Indians cannot live without firewood. 
The Eskimos continued to inhabit the eastern part of the 
shore of the gulf of St. Lawrence until about 1630, when they 
were expelled by the French and Indians. Captain W. Coats, 
in his notes on Hudson bay, states that in 1748 the Iroquois 
sent to the Indians of the bay for captive Eskimos, to be used 
as human sacrifices at some great feast; that the chief of the 
northern Indians proceeded forthwith on the war-path against 
