BOAS] DISTRIBUTION" OF THE TRIBES. 457 



of their clothing and tattooing from the Netehillirmiiit, it is scarcely- 

 possible at the present time to separate the tribes. It is worth re- 

 marking, however, that Gilder and Klutschak use both terms, and 

 therefore I conclude that the natives themselves are conscious of 

 belonging to different tribes. 



Schwatka describes the limits of their territory as he learned them 

 from his observations in the summer of 1870 (Science, December li), 

 ISS-t, p. 543). He found them on the mainland opposite King Will- 

 iam Land and along the islands in the vicinity of Simpson Strait. 

 They were most numerous along the northern shores of Adelaide 

 Peninsula, their villages being scattered every few miles along the 

 coast from Montreal Island to Smith Point. On the chart accom- 

 panying this account the eastern shore of the Back River estuary is 

 included in the district inhabited by the Netehillirmiiit. 



It is important to compare this description with the observations 

 which were made by Hall in 18G9. He found the first traces of natives 

 at the very head of Shepherd Bay, where a sledge track was observed 

 (p. 395). Near Point Acland several snow huts and a number of 

 natives were met with on the 30th of April (p. 396). Farther west 

 he found a village on Point Booth (p. 397), but the most interesting 

 fact is that in May, 1869, the party had fresh salmon from Netchil- 

 lik (p. 400). This statement is decisive of the question whether the 

 Netchillirmiut still continiied their visits to the isthmus from which 

 they take their name. 



From Khitschak's journal a few more details may be gathered. 

 From it we learn that in summer the Netchillirmiut scatter, and, 

 while some go sealing near Montreal Island (p. 75), many others go 

 inland to hunt deer in the lakes of the peninsula and farther south 

 (p. 119). A third party resort to King William Land, the soiithern 

 shore of which they f rec[uent until September, while the more north- 

 ern parts are seldom visited (p. 79). At this season they leave the 

 island and all return to Adelaide Peninsula (p. 126). I suppose, 

 however, that this report does not refer to the whole tribe, but 

 that another party visited Shepherd Bay in winter. It seems to me 

 very improbable that in the interval between 1869 and 1879 a total 

 change should have occurred. In the spring they catch salmon, 

 which are dried and stored to be used in winter. Their stock of blub- 

 ber and deer meat is sufficient to last them during the greater part 

 of the winter. At this season they fish only in holes made through 

 the ice. Important winter settlements are at Point Richardson and 

 at the outlet of Qimuqsuq (Sherman Inlet), where all the deer needed 

 are caught in the fall while they are crossing the bay. 



Although these statements do not altogether harmonize, it appears, 

 notwithstanding, that King William Land and Adelaide Peninsula, 

 which were not visited by the tribe in the early part of our century, 

 became its favorite hunting ground after the loss of the Franklin 



