BOAS.] DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRIBES. 431 



Koukdjiiaq and never desceiidi'il i" Ciiiiilici-land Sound. Afew times 

 only he is said to have sent liis son tci li.ntfi- with the Talirpingmiut of 

 Nettilling Fjord. He came to Qai'ussiiil in the spring, bnt i-etnrned 

 after a short stay. It may be remarked here that the total absence 

 of salt does not prevent the natives from staying on Lake Nettilling. 



Abont 1850 the mode of life of the Talirpingmiut was as follows: 

 In November they gathered in Isoa, the easternmost bay of the lake, 

 descended toward the sea, and lived during the following months 

 at the entrance of Nettilling Fjord. There they lived in the same 

 manner as the other Oqomiut. pursuing the seals at their breathing 

 holes. In the spring they hunted young seals; but, when the other 

 natives began to prepare for whaling, they traveled on sledges west- 

 wai'd. They avoided the large tide holes of the long fjord by mak- 

 ing use of a feAV passes. Although the fjord is impassable in spring, 

 a safe road leads along its northern shore to its northern branch, 

 Kangertlukdjuaq, where the water hole Sarbaqdualung may be 

 avoided by crossing the land at Tunukutang. In the spring large 

 water holes are formed near Neqemiarbing and at the entrance of 

 Audnerbing, compelling tra\'i.'h'rs to pass over the island Avliicli si-pa- 

 rates the two passages of Sarl)a((ilnaluii--. The pass Tiiiiiikiiiaiig, 

 which is used in winter, consists uf u stvep and narrow neck uf laud, 

 which separates a small lake from Kangertlukdjuaq, and a short and 

 winding river, the outlet of the lake. The second tide hole of the 

 fjord may be passi-d by tlie branches Qasigidjen and Sarbaqdjukulu 

 and the adjoiniiii;- Hat isthmus. The holes of Qognimg, yet farther 

 lip the fjord, do not hinder the natives, as they do not occupy the 

 whole width of the floe. 



At length they reached Kangia, and from here a chain of small 

 lakes was ascended, the watershed Ujaraqdjuin was crossed, and 

 linally they arrived at Amitoq. Cairns are everywhere erected on 

 prominent jjoints for way marks. After they had come to Lake 

 Nettilling, they rested a short time at Isoa, where the skin boats 

 and the necessary household goods had been left tlie preceding fall. 

 These were laslicd upon the slrd-i's and tlicn tln-y traveled as quickly 

 aspossibh- t.. the wist. Alin- lollowiiiL;- tlir southeastern shore to 

 Tikeraqdjuai] they crossed the lake to a, point ni'ar Tikeraqdj ung, 

 whence they went along the southern shore of the lake, reaching 

 Koukdjuaq in about a fortnight. Here their tents were established 

 on the left bank of the river, opposite to Nikosiving. wliore tliey 

 staid until the breaking up of the ice. Then tlie men descended tlie 

 river in their kayaks. Four days they followed the i-oast. jiassing 

 the bay of Aggirtijung before they reached Qudjitariaq, a long and 

 deep river, which they ascended. For a few weeks they hunted deer 

 among the lakes of this region, which is called Majoraridjen. and 

 then slowly turned southward. At last, about the latter half of An- 



