4r;6 THE CENTRA I- ESKIMO. 



fcibulous tribe said to luive lived with the Eskimo on tliesc sliores, 

 does not refer to a combat. Tlie details of this tradition will be found 

 in a subsequent chapter. 



I wish to state here that my inquiries and my undii'staiidini;- of 

 the facts as they have been reported by other travelo's du mil a,i;-n'(! 

 with the opinions given by Klutschak (Deutsche Rundschau f ilr Geo- 

 graphic und Statistik, III, p. 418), who claims for the Eskimo of the 

 west shore of Hudson Bay reservations which are limited by precise 

 lines of (L-niarkation. In (MinipariuK this statement wifli liis own and 

 with (iildri--s nali-ativcs 1 am led |(. bclirv that tlir rclatii.iis be- 

 tween the trilifs are the same in these iv,ei( .ns as tliey aiv faillier 

 east. This opinion is strengthened by Bull's remarks on the Alaska 

 tribes (Science, p. 228, 1885). 



The reasons for the frequent removals of individual Eskimo to 

 strange tribes are to be looked for in the customs of the natives. I 

 can only mention here that intermarriage, adoi^tion, and the fear of 

 blood vengeance are the principal ones. 



It is peculiar to the migratory habits of the Eskimo tliat almost 

 without exception the old man returns to the country (jf his youth. 

 and conseqiiently by far the greater part of the old i)eople live in 

 their native districts. 



During the last decades the most important indiicement to removals 

 has been the presence of the whalers in certain parts of the country. 

 Since the beginning of our century their fleets have .visited the west 

 shore of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait, and thus European maniif actures 

 have found their way to the inhospitable shores of the Arctic Sea. The 

 most valuable objects which were bartered were metals and wood. 

 The vahie of the former may be seen in its economical application 

 for knives and harpoon heads. By means of this trade the Akudnir- 

 miut and the Tununirmiut became far superior to the Oqomiut and 

 the Iglulirmiut, with whom they traded extensively in dogs, skins, 

 &c. The Akuliarmiut and the Qaumauangmiut also enjoyed the 

 advantages which accrued from trade with the ships of the Hudson 

 Bay Company. 



When the whalers became better acquainted with the natives and 

 the peculiar jargon which is still in vise was developed, the traffic 

 became very active, and reached its height aftei- Cumberland Soiind 

 was rediscovered by Penny. As soon as tlie wlialei's l>ei;an to winter 

 in the sound and to employ the natives tlie latter receixcd firearms 

 and European boats in exchange for their wares, and then their 

 modes of living became materially changed. The immense quantity 

 of European manufactured articles which thus came into the pos- 

 session of the natives induced the removal of many families to the 

 favored region. Particularly did the Nugumiut and the Akudnir- 

 niiut niigi-ate dui-ing that period. When in the coui-se of time the 



