be of the greatest significance for the understanding of the rehi- 

 tionship between the ditferent dialects in Greenland, and for the 

 eUicidation of Eskimo migrations, if this dialect as well as the 

 dialect of Cape York could sometime be thoroughly examined*). 



We кполу nothing certain about the earlier wanderings 

 of the Eskimo before they came to Greenland. We know 

 nothing about how long Ihey have been in America, or whence 

 they have come thither. When Dr. H. Rink, mostly through 

 linguistic , ethnographical and geographical considerations, 

 came to the result that they have moved from the interior 

 of America along the rivers toward the coasts, expelled by the 

 Indians**!, I cannot see that he had any conclusive proof for 

 his theory. Such probabilities, which are based upon resem- 

 blances and differences between the various tribes, are not in 

 themselves of equal weight with historical evidence, as long as 

 no certain criteria can be found for the direction and the dating 

 of the migrations. What has been shown is a relationship 

 between the various Eskimo tribes which points back to original 

 unity; nothing, however, indicates the point of departure or 

 the direction of the wanderings. If they have moved from west 

 to east, or from south to north, or in some other way, is not 

 decided***). We do not know if the ancestors of the Eskimo 



*) All the East Greenlandeis living to the south of Angmagssalik are said 

 to have wandered over recently to the west coast with the intention 

 of settling there for good, so that now Angmagssalik is the only in- 

 habited place on the east coast. Cf. G. Meidorf- Fra en Vaccinations- 

 rejse i Egnen omkring Cap Farvel 1000 in Meddelelser om Grönland 

 Vol. XXV, ИЮ2. 



•*) Rink considered it highly probable that the transition from inland 

 dwellers to coast dwellers had taken place in Alaska. "Eskimo Tribes " 

 (Meddelelser om Grönland Vol. XI, 1887j pp. 4 П". Supplement iMcdd. 

 om Grönl. 1891) pp. 19 fl". 



'*) Dr. F. Boas has recentl> proposed that the original home of the Eskimo 

 is to be sought east of the Mackenzie River (the coasts of Hudson Bay). 

 The Eskimo of Baffin Land and Hudson Bay, Bulletin Amer. Mus. Natur. 

 Hist. Vol. XV, 1901, pp. 369 iL 



