115 



verbal form (it is large) while the adequate translation into Eskimo 

 would require the application of the nominal participle (ending: 

 toq, ssoq: which is large"). As for the rest it hardly need be 

 remembered, that in most of the Eskimo vocabularies existing the 

 flexional forms are but indistinctly indicated, in many cases hardly 

 recognisable. 



In the above quoted communication, Kelly announces voca- 

 bularies to be in process of preparation by L. M. Turner, which 

 will contain over 7000 words of the Koksoagmyut ; 3000 words of the 

 Unalit of Norton Sound; 250 words of the Malimyut; besides the Un- 

 alaska Alyut Dictionary of 1900 words. Furthermore J. G. Pilling in 

 his Bibliography of the Eskimo Language states, that J. Murdoch, now 

 librarian of the Smithsonian Institution, has compiled a vocabulary, for- 

 ming 132 pp. fol. of manuscript, containing 1 100 words collected by the 

 Point Barrow Expedition. The words represent at least 590 radicals, 

 are followed by a list of 90 affixes and arranged after the patern of 

 Kleinschmidt's Gronlandske Ordbog. I very much regret, not to 

 have been able to await the publication of these, undoubtedly important 

 contributions from the Extreme West. 



2. ETHNOGRAPHY. 



J. W. Kelly has given an interesting description of the Eskimo 

 tribes inhabiting the extreme Northwest corner of America, the 

 shores of Bering-strait and its vicinity as well as the Interior. The 

 following extract of it may give an idea of their mutual rivalry and 

 the movings and migrations caused by their intertribal hostilities up 

 to the present day. 



As to the Asiatic Eskimos, he premises, that the Deerman 

 people are gradually crowding them out and almost absorbing them 

 by assimilation. They have lived in underground houses, but now 

 they live in huts covered with walrus hide. 



The Kavea country on the American side of the Strait is now 

 almost depopulated, owing to the scarcity of game. The remnants 

 of the Kavea tribe are mostly scattered over the whole of Arctic 

 Alaska. Wherever found, they are impudent, energetic and perse- 

 vering. What few remain at home rival the Kinegans of Gape 

 Prince of Whales in lawlessness. Nearly every year there is a 

 report of from one to three being killed. 



The Tigaremutes at Point Hope soon became the centre of 

 power. About 100 years ago, as far as can be determined, their 

 village on P. Hope had a population of 2000, and 6 council houses (! ?). 

 At that time the growing Nooatok tribe (Inland Eskimo) began 

 pressing them. About the year 1800 a great fight took place 

 between them. The Tigaras were overthrown and compelled to 

 withdraw from a part of the country. Since that time the popu- 



S* 



