48 THE POINT BARROW ESKIMO. 
labret-wearing Eskimo, those, namely, of the Anderson River and Cape 
3athurst. That they are not considered by the Tapeopmeut as belong- 
ing to the same “tribe” with themselves is evident from the names 
Kpagmalit and Kpagmalivéit, applied to them by Petitot. Sir John Rich- 
ardson, the first white man to encounter them (in 1826), says that they 
called themselves ‘“ Kitte-garroe-oot,”! and the Point Barrow people 
told Dr. Simpson of country called “ Kit-te-ga/-ru” beyond the Mae- 
kenzie.2, These people, as well as the Tapeopmeut, whom they closely 
resemble, are described in Petitot’s Monographie, and brief notices of 
them are given by Sir John Richardson,’ MeClure,t Armstrong, and 
Hooper... The arts and industries of these people from the Mackenzie 
to the Anderson, especially the latter region, are well represented in 
the National Museum by the collections of Messrs. Kennicott, Ross, and 
MacFarlane. The Point Barrow people say that the Kuptimiun are 
“bad;”7 but notwithstanding this small parties from the two villages 
occasionally travel east to the Mackenzie, and spend the winter at 
the Kupainmiun village, whence they visit the “‘ great house,” returning 
the following season. Such a party left Poimt Barrow June 15, 1882, 
declaring their intention of going all the way to the Mackenzie. They 
returned August 25 or 26, 1883, when we were in the midst of the con- 
tusion of closing the station, so that we learned no details of their jour- 
ney. <A letter with which they were intrusted to be forwarded to the 
United States through the Mackenzie River posts reached the Chief 
Signal Officer in the summer of 1885 by way of the Rampart House, on 
the Porcupine River, whence we received an answer by the bearer from 
the factor in charge. The Eskimo probably sent the letter to the Ram- 
part House by the Indians who visit that post. 
The intercourse between these people is purely commercial. Dr. Simp- 
son, in the paper so often quoted, gives an excellent detailed description 
of the course of this trade, which agrees in the main with our observa- 
tions, though we did not learn the particulars of time and distance as 
accurately as he did. There have been some important changes, how- 
ever, since his time. A small party, perhaps five or six families, of ‘* Nu- 
nataimiun” now come every summer to Point Barrow about the end of 
July, or as soon as the shallow bays along shore are open. They estab- 
lish themselves at the summer camping ground at Pérnye, at the south- 
west corner of Elson Bay, and stay two or three weeks, trading with the 
natives and the ships, dancing, and shooting ducks. The eastward-bound 
parties seem to start a little earlier than formerly (July 7, 1853, July 
3, 1854," June 18, 1882, and June 29, 1883). From all accounts their rela- 
1 Franklin, 2d Exp., p. 203. 
2Tbid., p. 269. 
3 Franklin, 2d Exp., pp. 193, 203 and 230; Searching Exp., and Polar Regions, p. 300. 
4N. W. Passage, pp. 84-98. 
6 Personal Narrative, p. 176. 
6 Tents, ete., pp. 343-348. 
7Compare what Petitot has to say—Monographie, ete., p. xiii and passim—about the turbulent and 
revengeful character of the ‘* Tchiglit.”’ 
5Dr, Simpson, op. cit., p. 264. 
