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the Tutjat, the "stepping stones." There are plenty of seal 

 and walrus there and an occasional polar bear, but the tides 

 are so strong that it is dangerous for the kayaks, so they seldom 

 visit them. From the outermost Tutjak they can see Tutjarluk, 

 "The Big Stepping Stone," Resolution island (Tudjaqdjuaq 

 in the Baffin Island dialect). This route, at the eastern end 

 of the strait, is about the same distance as the western route 

 described, but more difficult on account of the heavy tides caused 

 by the meeting of the waters of Hudson strait and the Atlantic. 

 The similarity of the names of the first islands off the Baffin 

 Island coast in the eastern and western link, Tudjaqdjuaq 

 (Resolution island) and Tudjaraaqdjung (Mill island) suggests 

 that they were considered by the Baffin-islanders as well as the 

 Labrador Eskimo, as the "Big Stepping Stones" across the strait. 



THE TUNNIT. 



Tunnit (Tornit, Baffin island), according to tradition, 

 were a gigantic race formerly inhabiting the northeastern coast 

 of Labrador, Hudson strait, and southern Baffin island. Ruins 

 of old stone houses and graves, which are ascribed to them by 

 the present Eskimo, are found throughout this entire section, 

 penetrating only slightly, however, into Ungava bay. Briefly we 

 may say that there is evidence, archaeological as well as traditional, 

 that the Tunnit formerly inhabited both sides of Hudson strait. 

 The oldest Eskimo of northern Labrador still point out these ruins, 

 and relate traditions of their having lived together until the Tunnit 

 were finally exterminated or driven out by the present Eskimo. 



According to the account given by an old Nachvak Eskimo, 

 the Tunnit in ancient times had two villages in Nachvak bay. 

 Their houses were built on an exposed shore (the present Eskimo 

 always seek a sheltered beach for their villages, where they can 

 land in their kayaks), showing that they had little knowledge 

 of the use of boats. When they wanted boats, they stole them 

 from the Eskimo. From this thieving of kayaks the original 

 quarrel is said to have begun. 



For all their bigness and strength, the Tunnit were a stupid 

 slow-going race (according to the Eskimo version), and fell an 



