BOAS.] DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRIBES. 451 



skins for garmeuts (Klutschak, Deutsche Riindschaxi fur Geographie 

 uud Statistik, III, p. 419). For this reason they would afford in- 

 teresting material for investigation, and it is unfortunate that no 

 trustworthy accounts of the tribe exist. Back, on his joui-ney to the 

 shores of the Arctic Ocean, found traces of the Eskimo on the lakes 

 of Back River, ample proof that they were in the habit of visiting 

 this region every summer. He found the iirst traces near 107° west 

 longitude, and farther down, at the mouth of Baillie River. He did 

 not see the natives whom Anderson and Stewart met in the summer 

 of 1855 near McKinley River and later between Pelly and Garry 

 Lakes. Their clothing and even the covers of their kayaks were 

 made of deer and musk ox skins. They observed among these na- 

 tives such articles of European make as the Hudson Bay Company 

 used for barter and which were traded to the most southern Eskimo 

 tribes of Hudson Bay. Therefore it is likely that these natives be- 

 longed to Chesterfield Inlet. This opinion is supported by Klut- 

 schak"s remark that a native of the mouth of Back River knew an 

 overland route leading from the lakes at its upper course to Chester- 

 field Inlet. 



The Sagdlrrmiut of Souiliam%>ton Island. — Before leaving the sub- 

 ject of the Hudson Bay Eskimo I may mention the inhabitants of 

 Southampton Island, a tribe which is almost unknown and the only 

 record of which was obtained by Captain Lyon during the few hoiirs 

 which he passed among them in IS'24 (Atti'iiipt to rcarli Repulse Bay, 

 p. 5-4). In August he found a few lamilics i>\\ the ishiinl south of 

 Cape Pembroke, who were living upmi sahiK.n whicii had been de- 

 posited in stone caches and who had tents made of sealskins. A 

 winter house was found at the same point. About 1865 an American 

 whaling vessel found some natives on Manico Point living in five 

 tents. Even then they had scarcely any iron, but used the old stone 

 implements; this proves the want of all communication with the 

 natives of the mainland. Parry found traces of Eskimo in York 

 Bay and they have been seen on many other parts of the island. The 

 Hudson Bay tribes call this tribe the Sagdlirmiut, i. e., the inhab- 

 itants of Sagdlirn, and their knowledge about them is very scanty, 

 as they meet very rarely and by chance only. 



The Sinimiut. — Northwest of Hudson Bay we find a tribe in Pelly 

 Bay. The reports upon it are very scanty and it is difficult to find 

 out the extent of the district which is occupied by it. Ross did not 

 fall in with the tribe, and in the accounts of the Netchillirmiut on 

 their journey to Repulse Bay no mention is made of an intervening 

 tribe (II, p. 3G3). In April. 1847, Rae foiind signs of the tribe near 

 Helen Island, in Pelly Bay (I, i). 11.3). There was an abundance of 

 seals on the ice all around the islands (p. Ill), but besides these they 

 had large stocks of dried musk ox and salmon (p. 124). On his second 

 journey he found their winter habitation on Barrow and Cameroon 



