Trade and Intercourse 



51 



that formerly had wooden frames. In two simihir ruins that he found at the 

 bottom of Lady Richardson bay, some 800 yards from the beach beside a stream, 

 the posts were still partially preserved; they were made of driftwood logs split 

 into halves, the original diameters of the logs being about two feet. Cape 

 Hamilton is visible from Wise point on a clear day, and we know from the 

 traditions of the Copper Eskimos that they frequently met the western natives 

 at Wise point. It seems very probable therefore that some of the western 

 natives crossed over to Victoria island to meet the northern people, and spent 

 the winter there, building from logs of driftwood houses of wood and sod like 

 those they used in their own country; for we can hardly attribute these remains 

 to the Copper Eskimos, who are, or were until recently, entirely unfamihar 

 with dwellings of this character. 



The second route which the northern Eskimos follow is inland to Lake 

 Tahiryuak, which is roughly about ten miles in diameter and studded with 

 islands of every shape and size. It Ues approximately in lat. 69° 50' N. and long 

 112° W. Several families of the northern natives usually come here each summer 

 to meet the Puivlik Eskimos from the south, though sometimes they meet 

 about thirty miles to the southwest at the small lake of Numikhoin in the 

 Colville hills. ^ In the summer of 1915 we waited several days at this latter 

 place hoping that they would join us; when they failed to appear we went on 

 to Lake Tahiryuak, where we met two families that had just arrived from 

 Prince Albert sound. When the first family appeared on the first day of June 

 all the Puivlik natives hned up on top of the bank overlooking the lake to give 



Fig, 



7- Puivlik Eskimos welcoming visitors from Prince Albert sound at Lake Tahiryuak 

 S.W. Victoria island 



them a welcome. The leading man of the visitors called out as he drew near 

 us, ilanaitutf "Are the people friendly?" and the Puivlik natives all joyfully 

 shouted, "Yes, they are friendly." One of our party, KesuUik, then rushed 

 down the slope, and wrestled with one of the visitors, pretending to push him 

 away, and exclaiming nunaga, nunaga, "It's my land," while the visitor answered 

 likittunga, "I have reached it, I have come." Every one was greatly excited. 



'In December, 1914, a Puivlik Eskimo promised to guide me to the Kanghiryuarmiut the following 

 spring. It was too cold to cross the hills in winter, he said, while the route round the coast (via Cape 

 Baring) was too long. 



23335—4' 



