BRADORE BAY AND PERROQUET ISLAND 



and the moss and curlew-berry and spruce 

 creep up. 



The name of this island is doubtless derived 

 from the fact that Eskimos formerly inhabited 

 it. Gosling says that there is an authenticated 

 tradition "that about the year 1640 the Mon- 

 tagnais, armed by the French, attacked the 

 Eskimos, who were encamped at Eskimo Island 

 in St. Paul's Bay, and slew about a thousand of 

 them." There is much difference of opinion as 

 to the former distribution of the Eskimos, who 

 are now not found south of Hamilton Inlet on 

 the eastern coast. In the latter part of the eigh- 

 teenth century, in Cartwright's time, they were 

 found as far south as the Straits of Belle Isle, 

 and Gosling says that at the beginning of that 

 century they were found along the coast of the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence as far west, at least, as 

 Pointe des Monts, where one of their battles 

 with the Indians took place. The name Es- 

 quimaux Point suggests, of course, the former 

 existence of the Eskimos at that place. Battle 

 Harbor is generally thought to be so named be- 

 cause here, a few years before the English con- 

 quest of Canada, the last important battle be- 

 tween the Indians and the Eskimos is believed 

 231 



