24 MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 6. 



permine east of McTavish bay, cross the river there and strike the 

 northeast corner of the bay. Those who followed this route some- 

 times did not get quite to "Big Stick island," for they found suit- 

 able wood in the Coppermine valley. In 1910 one party that 

 came by it did not return by this route, but joined the Kogluk- 

 togmmt (or followed them, rather) going by the western route 

 to the mouth of the Coppermine, and then proceeded homeward 

 east along the ice of Coronation gulf. 



Some of those bound for Great Bear lake come a greater or 

 lesser part of the way by sled in the spring, others pack the entire 

 distance from the sea. Some carry kayaks for spearing caribou, 

 but these are seldom if ever brought farther south than the head 

 of the middle Dease. In the autumn all go back to the sea by sleds 

 made during the summer. Most returning families have, there- 

 fore, a sled to sell, for their old sleds are waiting for them on or 

 near the coast. It is these sleds that eventually find their way 

 to all parts of Victoria island and along the mainland towards 

 Ogden bay until they meet the sleds that have come similarly 

 from the Akilinik. 



Immediately on arrival in the summer, at a source of suit- 

 able timber, trees are chopped down (with adzes it is a half- 

 day's job to chop down a tree 18 inches in diameter) and adzed 

 into planks or "roughed" into other suitable shapes. These are 

 then set to dry and the party proceeds south or west in search 

 of game. In the autumn when ice begins to form on the smallest 

 ponds the parties straggle to "Big Stick island" or to wherever 

 their wood has been set to dry. Sleds are first made, and if the 

 season is early, few other articles are finished, but are carried 

 "in the rough" to the seacoast by the first suitable fall of snow. 

 In 1910 the season was late, however, and while they waited on 

 it, the men finished new bows, spear shafts, platters, pails, 

 tables, planks for snowhouse floors, etc. Finally their supply 

 of dried caribou meat ran low and some of them started off 

 carrying their belongings on their backs north towards the 

 divide, for they can always be sure of finding snow for their sleds 

 at that season (the middle of October) when they near Dismal 

 lake. 



