112 H. P. STEENSBY. 
supplied the Netchillik Eskimo with wood and soapstone. By way of 
exchange they have probably obtained blubber for fuel and seal ‘skin for 
kayaks. 
The Netchillik Eskimo, or the inhabitants of Simpson Strait and 
Boothia Isthmus, spend the winter in the neighbourhood of the two 
localities mentioned above, and carry on seal hunting on the ice. According 
to Ross, January and February were spent in this way. In the first days 
af March they began to disperse in all directions over the ice, in order to 
continue the seal hunting, and the hunting of the newly born woolly young 
of the seals, with greater chance of success, The Eskimo who in the be- 
ginning of January 1830 had commenced to hunt seal and to live in snow 
houses on the ice in the neighbourhood of Ross’s winter quarters, in the 
beginning of March again divided into two parties, which removed elsewhere. 
on the ice towards north and south, and during the spring the Expedition 
now and then came across groups of Eskimo moving here and there. These 
spring wanderings may be of considerable extent. In March 1859-Mc. Crintock, 
on the ice between King William Land and the coast at the magnetic north 
pole, came across Eskimo who lived in eight snow houses, and had just re- 
turned home from a seal hunt on the ice. At the end of April he met another 
group of Eskimo who had visited Tasmanian Islands (71'/4° N. lat.), and who 
were now on their return journey to Boothia Isthmus, supporting themselves 
on the way by seal hunting on the ice. It appears, on the whole, from 
accounts of travels, that it was the spring months, which on account of the 
firm condition of the ice the English expeditions also regarded as most 
suitable for sledging expeditions, which formed the wandering period proper 
for the Eskimo. In April 1866 Hatt met Netchillik Eskimo on the east 
side of the Simpson Peninsula, in Boothia Gulf, and, as mentioned above, 
they must now and then extend their journeys as far as Hivillik (on Rae 
Isthmus). But the proper field of action of the tribe during spring is the 
large expanse of winter ice on the Netchillik Sea, which, both as regards 
navigability and the presence of Ringed Seals, satisfies all their needs. On 
May 4th, 1859, Mc. Cinvrock found first two, and then several more, recently 
abandoned snow houses on Matty Island (95° W. long., 69!/2 N. lat.), where 
numerous remains of seals were lying about, and where he could gather 
“blubber in abundance” for his own use. From the direction indicated by 
the track of the sledges on which the Eskimo had departed he concluded 
that they had gone eastwards to Boothia Isthmus. A few days afterwards — 
he met, on the coast of King William Land, Eskimo who were on their 
return journey after a visit to the wreck of FranKtin’s ships. From the 
district around Simpson Strait there are extremely few observations to hand 
as regards this season of the year. But there can be no doubt that the 
numerous recently abandoned snow houses which ScuwatTKa, about June 
Ist, came across on Montreal Island at the east coast of the Adelaide 
Peninsula had belonged to the Ugjulik tribe. It is true, KuurscwaK calls 
them Netchillik; but this is partly because he had not met the Eskimo 
