124 H. P. Sreenspy. 
whale hunters, the Eskimo in the Mackenzie district are greatly degenerated, ° 
and their original form of culture is no longer met with in its pristine form. This, 
however, is the only form which is of interest here. Even in its original condition 
of culture the Mackenzie district was visited more often than was Coronation 
Gulf; but as regards ethnography it has not been thoroughly dealt with. The 
first to visit this coast was ALEXANDER MackeENzIE, who, on July 12, 1789, 
reached the mouth of the river which now bears his name. Of later travellers 
may be mentioned FranKin and J. Ricuarpson 1826, the latter again in 1848, 
Smrson 1837, W. H. Hooper 1849, Mc Ciure 1850, Cottryson 1851 and 1853, 
Periror 1865 and C. H. Srocxron 1889. Amongst travellers of recent date must 
especially be mentioned V. Sreransson, who stayed there during 1906—1907; 
and, also, several times during the years 1908—1912. The inhabitants of the 
coast have for long — even before 1889 — been in contact with Europeans, in 
that they yearly visited Fort Macpherson, as also Fort Anderson, which was. 
afterwards demolished. Here, as a name common to them all, I am using the 
term ‘‘Mackenzie Eskimo,” as the names “Great Eskimo” and “Tschiglit’” 
Eskimo, which Prrrrér uses, are not satisfactory. 
The boundaries of the district are not sharply defined. Towards the east. 
it is the above-mentioned stretch of coast east of Darnley Bay which forms the 
boundary between the two large groups of West Eskimo and East Eskimo, the 
distinction between which, however, seems to be more geographical than eth- 
nographical in character. According to SreraNnsson’s observations they are 
not geographically more approximate to each other than was formerly supposed, 
and, at any rate in earlier days have enjoyed a lively intercourse. Today, however, 
the whole stretch of coast from Cape Bathurst to Cape Bexley is uninhabited. 
Towards the west there is the long uninhabited north coast of Alaska as far as 
Point Barrow. A feature which at once attracts one’s attention as regards this 
stretch of coast is that the original winter settlements generally were situated on 
points or projections. There has been some doubt as to whether the most easterly 
winter settlement was situated on Cape Parry or on the somewhat more easterly 
Cape Lyon. According to SteFaNsson, it seems as though the habitation of 
this group should be set even further east than Crocker River. West of the . 
Mackenzie, the most westerly settlement seems to have been situated between 
Herschel Island and Manning Point. FranK.in and W. H. Hoorer saw the most 
westerly winter houses at about 141°30’ W. long.; but when Murpocs, during 
1881—1883, visited Point Barrow, the most westerly settlement was situated — 
on Herschel Island, where there was said to be one of considerable size. 
Within the domain itself, also, it is impossible to fix the exact situation of the 
settlements, as the visits have been made too rarely and at too great intervals. 
It seems that one of the largest settlements was situated on Point Atkinson 
(131° W. long.), where Arxinson found 17 winter houses besides a meeting 
house (kashim). 
As regards the character of the coast there is a great contrast between 
this territory and Coronation Gulf. Because, while we there had a range of 
skerries with a rocky coast, at the mouth of the Mackenzie we find only shoals 
