432 THE CENTRAL ESKIMO. 



gust, tliey reached Qarmang, where at the beginning of summer the 

 women and old men had arrived in their large boats. Here the 

 whole party stopped until the lake was frozen up. Then they re- 

 tiirned on sledges to Isoa and to the sea. 



It would be very interesting to learn how far the natives formerly 

 extended their migrations along the shore of Fox Basin and whether 

 a regular intercourse existed between Iglulik and Cumberland Sound. 

 According to reports of some old Eskimo, who had themselves passed 

 the winter on the lake, there was always a small settlement at Qar- 

 mang. From here the shore of Fox Basin was reached with great 

 ease. If, however, the route through Koukdjuaq had to be taken, a 

 long, roundabout way was necessary. According to all reports, even 

 in olden times expeditions to Iglulik were very rare. It is said that 

 one Avas iiiadc about 1750 by a party under the li-adcrslii]! of an 

 Eskiiu... Makiilu. About 1800 another party I. 'ft. in whi.-li Kotuko 

 assumed llic leadership. About these a more detailed account exists. 

 With a few boats and four kayaks they left Nettilling and followed 

 the coast. Alone in his kayak, Kotuko visited Sagdlirn, an island 

 east of Iglulik, but he did not see any people, as they were on a hunt- 

 ing excursion. He found one hut and a large dog. There were a 

 great number of deerskins and walrus tusks, which proved the ex- 

 istence of an abundance of game. He returned, but on account of 

 the prevailing fog could scarcely find his kayak. The absence of the 

 party is said to have lasted three years. 



About 1830 another party left for Iglulik, among whom two women, 

 Amaroq and Sigjeriaq, were the most prominent. When they re- 

 t^irned, after an absence of three years, they praised the country (Pi- 

 ling), where they had spent some time, as a land of plenty and abun- 

 dance, and by these tales, in 1835, induced three boat crews to leave 

 Nettilling in order to visit this happy land. They were grievously 

 disappointed and after many misfortunes they perished on the nar- 

 row isthmus of Ipiuting. Their bodies were found by the Iglulik 

 Eskimo, who related that the poor fellows had resorted to cannibal- 

 ism. Among those who perished was a sister of the famous Hannah 

 (Taqulitu). the companion of Hall in his travels in the Arctic. I 

 must mention here that Hall, in 1868, met a native at Iglulik Avho 

 was said in lielmii;- to CundiiTlaml Round. As. however, in Iglulik 

 Cumlierlaml Sound ami Davis Stiait are often confounded. I am 

 inclined to tliiiik he was a native <>f tlie latter region. 



From these facts it appears that a regular intercourse between the 

 tribes along the shore of Fox Basin never existed, though formerly 

 interviews were moi'e frequent than they are at present. Since the 

 last mentioned expedition no Eskimo has visited Piling, nor have any 

 gone bythewayof Laki' Xettillingto Iglulik. Accordingly the ideas 

 of the Oqomiut about that region are very indefinite. An old man 



