ON THE ESQUIMAUX 185 



deplete the Eskimo race. The early Vikings harried 

 them on their visits to the coast. Thorfinn Karlsefne 

 mentions finding five Skraellings sleeping under a 

 boat. He adds, his men killed them ; and similar 

 incidents occurred to others of these rovers. The 

 Indians of the interior have always been hostile to 

 them, and in their battles with these the Eskimo 

 have generally come off second best. 



We were shown the spot where tradition has it 

 the Eskimo and Montaignais Indians fought their 

 last fight for mastery. A story to which the finding 

 of many stone arrow heads and knives lends some 

 colour. Off the mouth of a long river lies a large 

 island, with a smooth central plain, rising at each 

 end to high broken rocks. On the outer end clustered 

 the humble huts of the Eskimos, with their fishing 

 gear lying around. One night, under cover of dark- . 

 ness, the Mountaineers crept stealthily down the 

 river in their large, double-ended, birch war-canoes, 

 and effected a landing, dragging the canoes up after 

 them, and then hiding themselves among the rocks. 

 Next day, however, the wary little Eskimo discovered 

 their arrival, and pluckily determined to attack them 

 at once. It is easy to picture the wild scene that 

 followed. No doubt the little warriors fought des- 

 perately ; but, against their taller and more powerful 

 adversaries, were at a great disadvantage in a hand 

 to hand conflict. Many having fallen in the open, 

 the remnant sought cover among the rocks at the 

 outer end of the island, only to be dislodged and 



