4 MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 6. 



else they knew it was in the possession of the Eskimo of whom 

 they must in that case have been afraid. 1 



Two important overland trade routes (or two sections of 

 the same route) connected the Mackenzie river and Alaska, 

 probably even in the earliest times, with Hudson bay and the 

 Baffinland region. One of these led from the Arctic coast near 

 Ogden bay directly south across Back river (where the people 

 of that river were incidentally met by the coast traders), to the 

 wooded section of the Akilinik between the meridians 106 degrees 

 and 104 degrees west. This route is recommended by no special 

 geographic conditions other than the abundance of game and fish, 

 but it must always have been an important one because it furnished 

 with articles of wood a large section of the north coast of the 

 mainland as well as the populous island settlements. A con- 

 tinuation of this route led (and leads to-day) north across the 

 ice from Ogden bay to Albert Edward bay, Victoria island, and 

 on through Victoria island west by the Ekalluktok river, which 

 flows into the head of Albert Edward bay, and the Kagloryuak, 

 which falls into the head of Prince Albert sound. These rivers 

 head close together near the middle of Victoria island. This route 

 then led west through Prince Albert sound, crossed to Banks 

 island from Cape Wollaston to Cape Collinson or Cape Cantwell, 

 followed the coast southwest to Nelson head and crossed the sea 

 south to Cape Parry, and thence followed the coast westward. 

 This was in its entirety a sled route except that pack dogs were 

 used between Back river and the Akilinik, and sometimes some 

 distance north of Back river, as well as in the middle of Victoria 

 island, for these sections were traversed in summer. The entire 

 route is still in active use, except the section between Cape Parry 

 and Nelson head, for Cape Parry has long been depopulated and 

 the people at Cape Bathurst have been for more than half a cen- 

 tury entirely concerned with white men's wares, obtained first 

 from neighbours of their own race from the west, and later from 

 white men directly. It is remarkable that, although a long time 

 has elapsed since the Hudson's Bay Company and the Scotch 



1 Books are not at hand for exact citations. Consult, however, Alex- 

 ander Mackenzie's account of the fur trade, and Daniel T. Hanbury's narra- 

 tive of his exploration of the Akilinik river. 



