11 



NUWUK-MtJT. 



= 2ivifiiii'g-meun, Dr. Siiupsou, Kicliardson, &c. 



Dr. Simp.son's paper, before relen-ed to, is a monograph of the habhs, 

 customs, and appearance of these people who inhabit Point Barrow, Cape 

 Smyth, and have smaUer villages at Wainwright Inlet and Icy Cape. The 

 name nmvuk means point, or The Point, and the appellation Nuwuk-mut is 

 jn'Ojjerly confined to the inhabitants of the village at Point Barrow ; but 

 those of the other villages mentioned, — though doubtless having other local 

 names as do the people of all settlements, however small ; are not differ- 

 entiated in ' any way of importance, as far as we know, from those of the 

 principal settlement at Point Barrow. This had, in 1853, a population of 

 about three hinidred, and the other settlements perhaps half as much more. 

 It is probable that since that time they have materially diminished in num- 

 bers. These people have been more fully described than most of the Innuit 

 of the Arctic coast, owing to the fact that several exploring vessels have 

 -wintered at Ninviik. From Simpson, we learn that they travel on their 

 summer excin-sions for barter as far east as Manning Point (or Barter 

 Island), partly along the coast and 2:)artly through the numerous inlets and 

 intersecting lagoons which border the continent not far from the sea-coast. 

 The joiu-ney is an annual one, and is usually made in sixteen daj^s. The 

 party starts about the 5th of July, and spends a portion of the time in 

 trading with the Nunatuu'g-meun, at the mouth of the Colville River, and 

 return about the middle of August. 



NUNA-TO'G-MUT. 



= yvnd-tun' g-miih} , Dr. Simpson. 



These people inhabit specifically the mouth iind shores of the Nim'atok 

 River, which enters the western extremity of Hotham Inlet, with outlying 

 •\ illages to the north and west, the ])rincipal of which is that at Point Hope, 

 called Noo-nii. They number some three or four hundred souls, as far as 

 known. The character of those who meet the traders annually at Point 

 Hope is bad. They are reported as very ingenious and persistent thieves, 

 and exhibit a great degree of assurance, and even insolence, when their 



