132 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



along the entire northern coast of the continent to Alaska. A 

 large number inhabit Baffin island and Nottingham island. The 

 west part of Hudson strait is peopled by a band of these natives, 

 while occasional small parties cross Lancaster sound to North 

 Devon island, and, continuing northward, come in contact with 

 the natives of north Greenland at Smith sound. To the west- 

 ward of Hudson bay, the Eskimos are mostly confined to the 

 continent, and only make occasional visits to the southern shores 

 of the large islands off the Arctic coast. 



A considerable number of Eskimos, forming small communi- 

 ties, inhabit the east coast of Greenland from its southern end 

 up to Melville bay, where a stretch of uninhabited coast occurs 

 between the southern settlements and the home of the arctic 

 Highlanders at Smith sound, there forming the most northern 

 permanent settlement of the human race. This is on the east 

 side of the sound, between 74 and 77 1ST. latitude, or from 

 Cape York to the southern side of the great Humboldt glacier. 



At the time of the European discovery of the northern parts 

 of America, the Eskimos extended along the coasts consider- 

 ably south of their present limits. They occupied the 

 entire Atlantic coast of Labrador, and lived far along the north 

 shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Eskimos and Indians 

 have always been open enemies. With the advent of the whites, 

 the Indians soon became possessed of firearms, which gave them 

 a great advantage over their northern foes, who were compelled 

 to retreat beyond the tree-limit in the northern regions ; here 

 they were safe, as the Indians cannot live without firewood. 



The Eskimos continued to inhabit the eastern part of the 

 shore of the gulf of St. Lawrence until about 1630, when they 

 were expelled by the French and Indians. Captain W. Coats, 

 in his notes on Hudson bay, states that in 1748 the Iroquois 

 sent to the Indians of the bay for captive Eskimos, to be used 

 as human sacrifices at some great feast; that the chief of the 

 northern Indians proceeded forthwith on the war-path against 



