26 G. Holm. 



selves b}^ the southern West Greenlanders and the people of Labra- 

 dor in contradistinction from other Eskimo tribes. 



Distribution. — The three neighbouring fjords, Sermilik, Ang- 

 magsalik, and Sermiligak, are their chief places of habitation. In 

 each settlement there is onl}^ one inhabited house, the size of which 

 varies according to the number of families. At Sermilik there were 

 in the winter of 1884 — 85 4 inhabited places, namely Ikatek (58 

 souls), Siuinganarsik (31), Sivinganek (31), and Akerninak (12), all 

 situated on the east side of the fjord, forming a total population of 

 132 souls. At Angmagsalik there were 7 inhabited places: Tasiu- 

 sarsik (35), Kangarsik (34), Norsit (25), Umiuik (19), Ingmikertok (37), 

 Kiimarmiut {28), and Norajik (4:7), 225 souls in all. Ai Sermiligak there 

 was that winter only one inhabited place, namely Nunakitit with 

 14 souls. 



In summer the people live in tents and go about in boats to 

 the best hunting-places, now to the outer coasts to take seal, now 

 to the inner waters to catch angmagsat and salmon. 



Journeys, which often last a year or two, are made from this 

 district both in a northerly and southerly direction. They go north 

 to Kialinek to hunt narwhals and bears. In 1882 two umiaks with 

 30 persons went up there, and were never heard of any more. A 

 third boat which had also undertaken the journey returned to 

 Angmagsalik, when they found how poor the hunting was up there 

 in summer. The other two boats, not being covered with skin, put 

 off their return to next year, and it is believed that they starved 

 to death ^). In former times many people had died of starvation 

 up there. 



They go south to Inigsalik and Pikiutdlek, where they over- 

 winter in order to supply themselves with pot-stone. Some of them 

 make still longer journeys to Igdloluarsuk and Akorninarmiut in 

 order to trade with the natives who live further south. A boat 

 from Sermilik was in 1883 on the West coast, but this was an 

 exceptional case. In 1882 this boat went together with two other 

 boats from Sermilik to Igdloluarsuk. After wintering here, young 

 people from all three boat-crews went in one boat to Nanortalik in 

 order to trade; a boat from Igdloluarsuk went along with them. 

 On their homeward journey they only got as far as Anorilok. where 

 they then wintered in 1883 — 84. In 1884 they proceeded together 

 with us on to Igdloluarsuk where the two other boats joined us, 

 and went to Umiuik, where they wintered in 1884 — 85. In the summer 

 of 1885 they at last managed to get back to Sermilik. They had 



') Cf. „Meddelelser om Gгolllalld^ vol. XW'II, ]). IKi. 



