Country of the Copper Eskimos 21 



or elsewhere, it must be remembered that the camps will not be found immediately 

 on the Dease or in the valley, but somewhere on or among tlie surrounding hills. 

 Old camp sites are very numerous on the north side of Dismal lake, particularly 

 at the " Narrows ", and it is there where both fish and caribou are numerous 

 that they get the supply of fall skins for clothing. They here get caribou both 

 by hunting on land and by spearing from kayaks as the caribou are swimming. 

 Aside from these two main or more permanent gathering places, the country 

 and the camp sites indicate that the Eskimos are wandering around in small 

 parties. 



" Except that they go west and south from ten to twenty miles up the 

 Coppermine, nothing is known of the country where those Eskimos who go after 

 copper get their supply and where they spend the summer. The others, how- 

 ever, spend the summer mostly in the country bounded by Dismal lake, the 

 Coppermine, and the east end of Great Bear lake. Throughout this area, 

 timber, caribou and fish are abundant, and the country itself is one of easy 

 travel." 



Mr. Cox now takes up the account of the country to the eastward : — 



" About ten niiles to the east of the Coppermine there is a small river 

 (the Napaktauktuak), which runs back into timber and is said to have plenty of 

 fish. Eight miles farther east is the western Kugaryuak, which reaches the coast 

 through a wide grass flat. The country from here to the eastern Kugaryuak^ 

 (28 miles) is broken and rough — ^typical of the diabase country. The eastern 

 Kugaryuak is a fair sized stream and has plenty of willows about the mouth, 

 About ten miles farther east there is a wide steep grassy valley coming down 

 out of the diabase opposite a group of four large islands with striking bluffs. 

 This place is known as Sallik, and is said to be a very good place to hunt deer 

 in the spring-time. Immediately to the east of here granite takes the place of 

 the diabase on the coast and continues to about ten miles west of Port Epworth. 

 This is a rough and barren stretch of coast, though doubtless well supplied with 

 lakes. From a grassy bay about twelve miles west of Port Epworth, there 's a 

 portage (about one-half to three miles) into a large lake which runs back of the 

 coast to within a third of a mile of the southwest corner of Port Epworth. This 

 route is sometimes used, and the lake holds plenty of fish. 



" From the point northwest of the bay mentioned to the large bay just 

 south-west of Agiak^ the coast is bleak and barren diabase, almost entirely 

 devoid of soil and vegetation.' A few miles south of the coast, however, has 

 the granite country, which is relatively much more fertile, though extremely 

 rough and swarming with lakes of all sizes. The Tree river (Kogluktualuk) 

 running into the southeast comer of Port Epworth has granite on the east and 

 dolomite on the west. About six miles up from the mouth are fine falls sixteen 

 feet high, below which, and through the rapids which run for about two miles 

 below the falls, the Eskimos do a good deal of fishing. In the summer of 1915, 

 at least a dozen people made their living here — chiefly on flsh. There are 

 plenty of willows up to three inches in diameter for fuel. Some ten miles above 

 the mouth, the river forks into two branches of about equal size. Not much 

 is known of the east branch, though it is said to have its source in a large lake, 

 which is also the source of the Hood river or of a branch of it, according to 

 Maffa.^ 



"Both branches of the Tree river run up into the timber about five sleeps 

 up (i.e., 50 to 60 miles). The western branch for about 25 miles up runs through 

 a rather narrow grassy valley with steep ridges on either side. The surrounding 



'The valleys of both Kugaryuak rivers abound in caribou. All this region is known as Asiak. 

 The Eskimos here obtain whetstones for their knives, hence the name Agiak, i.e. "Whetstone."' 

 'The inland district between Tree river and Bathurst inlet is called Pingangnaktok. 

 'Mafjfa was a Tree river Eskimo who served the expedition as a hunter and guide. It is very improbabla 

 however, that the Same lake should be the source of two distinct rivers flowing in different directions. 



