24 
MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 6. 
perinine east of McTavish bay, cross the river there and strike the 
northeast corner of the bay. Those who followed this route some- 
times did not get quite to “Big Stick island,” for they found suit- 
able wood in the Coppermine valley. In 1910 one party that 
came by it did not return by this route, but joined the KOgluk- 
togmiut (or followed them, rather) going by the western route 
to the mouth of the Coppermine, and then proceeded homeward 
east along the ice of Coronation gulf. 
Some of those bound for Great Bear lake come a greater or 
lesser part of the way by sled in the spring, others pack the entire 
distance from the sea. Some carry kayaks for spearing caribou, 
but these are seldom if ever brought farther south than the head 
of the middle Dease. In the autumn all go back to the sea by sleds 
made during the summer. Most returning families have, there- 
fore, a sled to sell, for their old sleds are waiting for them on or 
near the coast. It is these sleds that eventually find their way 
to all parts of Victoria island and along the mainland towards 
Ogden bay until they meet the sleds that have come similarly 
from the Akilinik. 
Immediately on arrival in the summer, at a source of suit- 
able timber, trees are chopped down (with adzes — it is a half- 
day's job to chop down a tree 18 inches in diameter) and adzed 
into planks or “roughed” into other suitable shapes. These are 
then set to dry and the party proceeds south or west in search 
of game. In the autumn when ice begins to form on the smallest 
ponds the parties straggle to “Big Stick island” or to wherever 
their wood has been set to dry. Sleds are first made, and if the 
season is early, few other articles are finished, but are carried 
“in the rough” to the seacocist by the first suitable fall of snow. 
In 1910 the season was late, however, and while they waited on 
it, the men finished new bows, spear shafts, platters, pails, 
tables, planks for snowhouse floors, etc. Finally their supply 
of dried caribou meat ran low and some of them started off 
carrying their belongings on their backs north towards the 
divide, for they can always be sure of finding snow for their sleds 
at that season (the middle of October) when they near Dismal 
lake. 
