An Anthropogeographical Study of the Origin of the Eskimo Culture. 45 
It is evident that such congruities both in culture and language “= 
over such an extensive area can only be the result of a compara- 
tively late dissemination from a more limited area. To find out this _ 
Iimited area by studying the various nuances of the economic culture 
is the main object of this work. The easternmost point where indi-» 
viduals possessing Eskimo culture have been met with is the east 
coast of Greenland situated about 20° W. long., and the westernmost 
is the Siberian Tschaunbay situated about 170° E. long. The southern- 
most limit to which the Eskimo wandered — at any rate during the 
later centuries — was the Strait of Belle Isle, situated 51° N. lat., and 
the northernmost Robeson Channel and Danmarks-Fjord in northern- 
most Greenland, situated 82°—83° N. lat. Consequently, the disse- 
mination extends over 30 degrees of latitude, and over half of the 
entire circumference of the earth in the southern part of the North 
Polar Zone. : 
Rink has computed the distance from the southernmost point 
of the Eskimo range in Alaska to the most south-eastern point in \ 
Labrador to be 10—11,000 kilometres along the coast, which thes v 
Eskimo follow. And the distance from Labrador to the east coast. 
of Greenland, which indicates the third corner of the angle in the 
great triangular area of distribution, the two other corners being 
South Alaska and Labrador, tb be just as great. In comparison 
with these enormous distances over which the Eskimo are distributed, 
the area of their lands is relatively small, as they usually inhabit 
the coasts only, while the interior of the countries is, as a rule, either 
destitute of population or occupied by other tribes. 
Apart from the Aleuts and the coast Chukches the Eskimo are 
frequently divided into a western and an eastern section, Warrz set 
the boundary between these sections at the mouth of the Mackenzie. 
Rink shifted the point of demarcation to the somewhat more easterly 
situated Cape Bathurst (127° W. long.), which is now that generally 
adopted. But this boundary is not really a fortunate one either, as 
the same tribe wanders about on both sides of this headland. The 
now uninhabited stretch of coast between Darnley Bay and Dolphin 
and Union Strait, or approximately between 124° and 116° W. 
long., must be regarded as a better boundary. But in reality the 
distinction between West and East Eskimo is quite artificial, or 
practically of a geographical nature. A boundary of any great im- 
portance does not exist at the place in question, a fact which, 
especially lately, has been proved by SrEransson’s observations. 
Boas! has shown how there are connecting routes between the 
eastern groups of Eskimo, which, though not regularly used, yet 
probably, at some time within living memory, have given occasion 
1 Boas, I, p. 89. 
