BOAS] DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRIBES. 453 



undergone a remarkable change since they were first visited by Ross 

 in 1829. At that jjeriod their district occupied the southern joart of 

 Boothia Felix, particularly the narrow isthmus and the adjoining 

 parts of both coasts. Tliey were acquainted with Bellot Strait (Ike- 

 rasaq), which they described as the way the Victory had to take in 

 order to effect a passage to the western sea. A part of the tribe was 

 in the habit of wintering on Owutta Island; they also probably vis- 

 ited the eastern part of King William Land. The southwestern ter- 

 mination of their district cannot be exactly di'liiicd, but trom their 

 description of the land south of Lake Willci'stcill it appears that they 

 visited Sheiaherd Bay; besides, I find that in Juiu-. 1831, a number of 

 families lived south of Netchillik, i. e., proljably in Rae Strait ov on 

 Shepherd Bay (Ross II, p. 537). 



So far as can be gathered frcmi Ross's accmuit tin' tribe had three 

 wintersettlements. OIK Mill tlicc-istci-ii slioriMif the 1 si hmiis of Boothia, 

 another at Lake Netclnllik, and the third uu <.)wutta Island.' As 

 to the first meeting of the natives with the Victory two contradic- 

 tory accounts are f oiind. At first it is related (p. 353) that they came 

 from Akugdlit. liaviiig been on the road ti'u days. Later, and this 

 is more in'obalilr. it is said that two natives had ilcscried the ship in 

 September. is-.';i. wIu'il passing near Vietnria Harbor (p. 309). Be- 

 ing in great fear, they had immediately traveled to Netchillik to 

 communicate with their countrymen. There they met with a woman 

 who had been on board of Parry's ships, and she had induced all 

 the natives, by her stories, to be on the lookout for the Eurojjeans. 

 At the first meeting, on the 9th of January, 1830, 31 men approached 

 the ship. This would answer to a population of aboiit one hundred 

 and twenty persons, and it is quite unprecedented that such a party 

 should travel for any distance and even beyond th-e limitations of 

 their own territory and of their customary migrations. Probalily a 

 traveling jjarty had joined the Netchillirmiut, who had lived some- 

 where in Lord Maj'-or's Bay. and they all went to meet the shijj. 



From Ross we also learn that during January and February these 

 natives lived on seals, which were killed with harpoons (pp. 250, 255, 

 259), but, in addition, they had deposits of venison, seal blubber, and 

 fish (pp. 251, 262). Sometimes they went hunting the musk ox on 

 the mainland farther north, and a small party may have staid there 

 thidULiliont the winter (p. 265). In the first days of March they 

 began to scatter all over the ice (p. 290), in oi-der to have a better 

 chance of sealing and of catching young seals in the white coat (pp. 

 293, 295). The young sealing commenced about the 10th of March. 

 It is worth remarking that this is the only tribe on the continent of 



' From a rather ambiguous statement (p. 355) it would seem that Owutta belongs 

 to the territory of the Ugjulirmiut ; but in later passages ample proof is found that 

 it is inhabited by the Netchillirmiut (pp.423, 427). I myself was formerly misled by 

 the above passage (Zeitschr. Gesell. Erdk., p. 171, Berlin, 1883). 



