BOAS.] DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRIBKS. 459 



The reports on their mode of life are very deficient. They were 

 met by Schwatka a little above tlie great bend of Hayes River in 

 May, 1879; he also met another party in December at the Dangerous 

 Eapids of Back River. Schwatka counted seven families at the 

 former and nine at the latter place. Their principal food consisted 

 of fish, which are caught in abundance in Back River (Klutschak, 

 p. 164). It is said that they have no fuel during the winter. Un- 

 doubtedly they use some kind of fuel, and I rather doubt the im- 

 plication that they do not hunt seals at all. Tlie musk ox and 

 fish, however, are their main food, according to both Klutschak and 

 Gilder. It is very remarkable that all the natives west of Boothia 

 depend much more on fish than do any other tribes of the Central 

 Eskimo. 



A word in regard to the roads used in the intercourse between the 

 tribes. From Akugdlit a road leads over the lakes of Simpson 

 Peninsula to Pelly Bay. Rae and Hall traveled o^-er it on tlieir 

 journeys to the northwest and it was used by the Sinimiut when they 

 visited Repulse Bay in 186G. From Pelly Bay two roads lead to 

 Netchillik and the estuary of Back River, the one following the east 

 shore of the Boothia, the other running to Lake Simpson, whence 

 the valley of Murchison River facilitates the access to Inglis Bay. 

 The Isthmus of Boothia is crossed by the two chains of lakes discov- 

 ered by Ross. In visiting the northeastern part of the peninsula the 

 natives ascfud Rtanl.'y River and cress the lakes farther ii.irth. Be- 

 tween Xet.-hiUik and r^julik the EskiiiKi pass 1 . y ( )\vutta Island to 

 Peel Inlet, whence tiiey travel overland t.i the snuth sliure of King 

 William Land and cross Simpson Strait. Another road leads from 

 Cape Colville to Matheson Point, following the south shore of King 

 William Land. In traveling from Ugjulik to Back River they use 

 Sherman Inlet and the adjoining isthmus. It is probable that Back 

 River is visited by natives belonging to Wager River. The exist- 

 ence of a communication between Back River and Chesterfield Inlet 

 is proved by Anderson and Stewart, who found Eskimo at Lake Garry, 

 and l)y a remark of Klutschak (p. 170), who learned from a native of 

 Back River that Chesterfield Inlet could be reached from the upper 

 part of that river. It is quite probable that thus an immediate thcnigli 

 limited intercourse is kept up between the Kinipetu and the Ukusik- 

 salirmiut. 



SMITH SOUND. 



The natives of EUesmere Land. — Last of all I have to mention 

 the natives of Ellesmere Land and those of North Greenland. Al- 

 though the latter are not generally considered as belonging to the 

 central tribes, I find that their habits and their implements resemble 

 those of the Central Eskimo rather than those of the Greenlanders, 



