Bi.As.j TRADE ANT) INTERCOURSE. 469 



with the whalers frequenting the western shore of Hudson Bay. Be- 

 sides, the southern tribes trade with the stations of tlie Hudson Bay 

 Company. 



The more western tribes of Boothia and its environs are dependent 

 on the mediation of the Aivillirmiut for their supply of goods, as 

 they themselves have no chance of communicating with the whites. 



Finally, I shall describe the old trading routes which existed be- 

 tween these tribes before matters were totally changed by the in- 

 fluence of the Europeans. Two desiderata formed the principal in- 

 ducement to long journeys, which sometimes lasted even several 

 years: wood and soapstone. The shores of Davis Strait and Cum- 

 berland Sound are almost destitute of driftwood, and consequently 

 the natives were obliged to visit distant regions to obtain that neces- 

 sary material. Tudjaqdjuaq in particular was the objective point 

 of their expeditions. Their boats took a southerly course, and, as 

 the wood was gathered, a portion of it was immediately manufact- 

 ured into boat ribs and sledge runners, which were carried back on 

 the return journey; another i^ortion was used for bows, though these 

 were also made of deer's horns ingeniously lashed together. A poi'- 

 tion of the trade in wood seems to have been in the hands of the 

 Niigumiut, who collected it on Tudjaqdjuaq and took it north. An- 

 other necessary and important article of trade, soapstone, is manu- 

 factured into lamps and pots. It is found in a few places only, and 

 very rarely in pieces large enough for the manufacture of the arti- 

 cles named. Among the places visited by the natives for the pur- 

 pose of obtaining it may be mentioned Kautaq, east of Naujatel- 

 ing; Qeqertelung, near the former place; Qarmaqdjuin (Exeter Bay), 

 and Committee Bay. The visitors come from every part of the 

 country, the soapstone being dug or " traded" from the rocks by de- 

 positing some trifles in exchange. In addition to wood and soap- 

 stone, metals, which were extremely rare in old times, have formed 

 an important object of trade. They were brought to Baffin Bay 

 either by the Aivillirmiut, who had obtained them from the Hudson 

 Bay Company and the Kinipetu, or by the Akuliarniiut. Even 

 when Frobisher visited the Nugumiut in 1577 he fnund them in 

 possession of some iron (Frobisher). 



The occurrence of flint, which was the material for arrowheads, 

 may have given some importance to places where it occurs. For- 

 nii'i'ly an iiiipdrtant trade existed between the Netchillirmiut and 

 till' ufinhboiiiiL;- tribes. As the district of the former is destitute of 

 driftwoud aiiil potsttme they are compelled to buy both articles from 

 their neighbors. In Ross's time they got the necessary wood from 

 Ugjulik, the potstone from Aivillik. They exchanged these articles 

 for native iron (or pyrite), which they found on the eastern shore of 

 Boothia and which was used for striking fire. After having col- 

 lected a sufficient stock of it during several years, they traveled to 



