30 IlIK I'UINT liAKIJoW i:sKIM(). 



iKirnw striii ot' land, and is sd lai.^t- that a man standing on the uorth- 

 eiii shore can not sec the •• very high" land on the southern. It takes 

 an umiak a day to tra\el the length of tlie lake under sail with a fair 

 wind, and when the N'nnataunuun coming from the south first saw the 

 laketliey said "Taxaio!" (tin- sea). 



On Capt. Magnire's luaii' this lake is laid down by the name 

 "Taso'kpoli" '•from natixc report." It is represented as lying between 

 Smith Hay and Harrison Bay, and eouueeted witli each by a stream. 

 Maguire .seems to Inive heard nothing of Ikpikpuu. This lake is not 

 mentioned in the Ixxly of the report. Dr. Simjisou, however,^ .speaks of 

 it in the following words: "They [i. e.. tlie trading parties when they 

 reach Smith Bay | enter a river which conducts them to a lake, or rather 

 series of lakes, and descend another stream which Joins the sea iu Har- 

 ri.son Bay." They are well aequainted with the Colville River, which in 

 their intercourse \vitli us they usually called "the river at Ni'galek," 

 Nl'galek being the well known name of the trading camp at the mouth. 

 It was also sometimes spoken of as the "river of the Nnnataumiun." 

 The Mackenzie Eiver is known as "Kupufl" (great river). We found 

 them also a((iuainted with the large unexplored river called '•Kok"ou 

 the maps, which Hows into Waiuwright 1 nlet. They called it " Ku" (the 

 river). The river '•Cogrua," which is laid down on the charts as empty- 

 ing into Peard Bay, was never mentioned by the Point Barrow natives, 

 but we were informed by Capt. Gitford, of the whaler Daniel Webster, 

 who traveled along the (;oast from Point Barrow to Cape Li.sburne after 

 the loss of his vessel in 1S81, that it is quite a considerable stream. He 

 had to ascend it for about a day's journey — '20 miles, according to Capt. 

 Hooper-' — ^before he found it shallow enougli to ford. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of this region is thonmghly arctic in character, the mean 

 annual temperature being S^ F., ranging from 65° to —52° F. Such 

 temperatures as the last mentioned are, however, rare, the ordinary 

 winter temperature being between — 20° and —.30° F., rarely rising 

 during Det'cmber, January, February, and March as high as zero, and 

 still more rarely passing beyond it. The winter merges insensibly by 

 slow degrees into sununer, with occasional "cold snai)s," and frosty 

 nights begin again by tin- 1st of Septend)er. 



The sun is entirely below the horizon at Point Barrow for 72 days in 

 the winter, beginning November 15, though visible by refraction a day 

 oi two later at the beginning of this period and a day or two earlier at 

 the end. The midday darkness is never complete even at the winter 

 solstice, as the sun is such a short distan<-e below the horizon, but the 

 time suitable for outdoor employments is limited to a short twilight 

 fr<jm !) a. in. to ."> \). m. Theie is, of course, an equal time in the .summer 



'Pari. Rep., 1854, vol. 42, opp. p. 186. 'Qp. cit., p. 265. 'Corwin Report, p. 72. 



