_The Sikosuilarmiut._--I shall begin with the enumeration of the tribes
in the southwestern part of Baffin Land. This country is inhabited by
the Sikosuilarmiut, i.e., the inhabitants of the shore without an ice
floe. They are settled in two places: Nurata, east of King Cape, and
Sikosuilaq, within the peninsula (or island?) which projects east of
King Cape. The large fjords Sarbaq and Sarbausirn, which belong to their
territory, are known to me only by a description which I received in
Cumberland Sound. In summer they visit the upper parts of this long
fjord to hunt deer on the plains which reach to the shore of Fox Basin.
Probably they do not extend their migrations very far to the north or
northeast; otherwise, they would reach Lakes Amaqdjuaq and Nettilling,
the region about the latter being the hunting ground of the natives of
Cumberland Sound.
I know of only a single meeting between the Eskimo visiting Lake
Nettilling and others who are supposed to have come from Hudson Strait.
It occurred in 1883 south of the lake.
_The Akuliarmiut._--This tribe is settled on the northern shore of
Hudson Strait. Their winter resort lies west of Qeqertuqdjuaq (Parry’s
North Bluff). In summer they travel through White Bear Sound or Lesseps
Bay to Lake Amaqdjuaq, which they reach after crossing a neck of land
about ten miles in width. The exact direction of the road cannot be
ascertained, as the position of their starting point, which is called
Tuniqten, is doubtful. Crossing a short portage they ascend to Lake
Amitoq, whence on a second portage they pass the watershed between Lake
Amaqdjuaq and Hudson Strait. From the small Lake Mingong a brook runs
into Sioreling and thence into Lake Amaqdjuaq (Baffin-Land, p. 67). On
the southern shore of the large lake they erect their summer tents.
Farther east, in North Bay, there is another winter residence of the
same tribe. Unfortunately, I cannot specify the place of this
settlement, which is called Quaiirnang.
_The Qaumauangmiut._--East of the Akuliarmiut live the Eskimo so
frequently met near Middle Savage Islands. Their principal residence is
near Lake Qaumauang, from which they take their name Qaumauangmiut. My
investigations concerning these tribes were much embarrassed by the want
of trustworthy charts. If charts are tolerably well delineated, the
Eskimo understand the meaning of every point and island and can give
detailed accounts of the situation of the settlements and the migrations
of the inhabitants.
Between Sikosuilaq and Akuliaq but a moderate amount of intercourse is
kept up, as the settlements are separated by a wide and uninhabited
stretch of land. Notwithstanding this many members of one tribe are
found to have settled among the other. An American whaling station which
was established in Akuliaq a few years ago may have had some influence
upon the distribution and the life of these tribes. The greater
importance of Akuliaq, however, cannot be ascribed to the presence of
the whalers alone, as a few harbors near Sikosuilaq are also frequently
visited by them. The whalers report that there are about fifty
inhabitants in Sikosuilaq, about two hundred in Akuliaq, and farther
east fifty more. Thus the population of the north shore of Hudson Strait
probably amounts to three hundred in all.
The Qaumauangmiut are probably closely related to the Nugumiut of
Frobisher Bay.
_The Nugumiut._--I can give a somewhat more detailed description of this
tribe, among the families of which Hall passed the winters of 1860-’61
and 1861-’62 (Hall I). Unfortunately, he does not give any coherent
account of their life, only meager information being furnished in the
record of his journeys. Besides, generalizations cannot be made from his
two years’ experience. My own observations in Cumberland Sound may serve
as a complement to those of Hall. As he gives only a few native names of
places, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain the exact position of the
localities to which he alludes.
According to Hall and my own inquiries four places are inhabited by this
tribe almost every winter: Tornait (Jones Cape of Hall), about
thirty-five miles above Bear Sound, in Frobisher Bay; Operdniving and
Tuarpukdjuaq, in Countess of Warwick Sound; Nugumiut, in (Cyrus W.)
Field Bay; and Ukadliq, in (Cornell) Grinnell Bay. As these bays open
into Davis Strait the formation of the ice is retarded and its extent
diminished, and consequently some peculiarities in the arrangement of
the life of the Eskimo are observed here. The only occupation of the
Nugumiut and the inhabitants of Ukadliq is sealing with the harpoon on
the floe of the inner parts of the bay. Near Ukadliq the tide holes east
and west of Allen Island abound with seals. In winter, when the seals
take to the open ice, the village of this group of families is
established near Roger’s Island, where the floe of the bay forms the
hunting ground of the natives.
During the autumn the Nugumiut stay in Field Bay. The women are then
busy preparing the deerskins; for, on account of the requirements of
their religion, the walrus hunt cannot be begun until the deerskins
which were taken in summer have been worked up for use. As soon as this
is done they travel across Bayard Taylor Pass (so called by Hall) to
Frobisher Bay, and in the latter half of December or in the beginning of
January settle on Operdniving or on Tuarpukdjuaq in company with the
natives who stay here during the fall. In Cumberland Sound I learned
that this changing of the habitations takes place almost regularly and
that sometimes the settlement is moved to Aqbirsiarbing (Cape True) if
the bay is frozen over beyond Operdniving. In traveling to Aqbirsiarbing
the tide holes of Ikerassaqdjuaq (Lupton Channel) are avoided by using
the pass of Chappell Inlet. Here and in Tornait the natives go sealing
on the ice or walrusing at the edge of the floe, which in most cases is
not very far off.
About the latter half of March part of the Eskimo begin to travel up
Frobisher Bay. In the middle of April, 1862, Hall found a settlement on
Qeqertuqdjuaq (Gabriel Island), from which island the floe edge was
visited and young seals were caught in the narrow channels between the
numerous islands. Towards the end of the month a portion of the natives
went farther to the northwest in pursuit of the basking seals (I, p.
470), intending to reach the head of the bay in July. Hall found summer
habitations at Ukadliq (I, p. 468); on Field Bay (p. 296); and on
Frobisher Bay at Agdlinartung (p. 308), Opera Glass Point (p. 341),
Waddell Bay (p. 341), and Nuvuktualung, on the southern point of Beecher
Peninsula (p. 348).
A very important hunting ground of the inhabitants of Tiniqdjuarbiusirn
(Frobisher Bay), of which I received some detailed accounts, is Lake
Amaqdjuaq. In the foregoing remarks on the Akuliaq tribe I described the
course which leads from Hudson Strait to the lake. Another route is
followed in traveling from the head of Frobisher Bay to Lake Amaqdjuaq,
a distance of about fifty miles. Probably the men leave Sylvia Grinnell
River and ascend to Lake Amartung, from which lake a brook runs westward
to Lake Amaqdjuaq (Baffin-Land, p. 68). The women take a different route
and arrive at Aqbeniling after a tramp of six days, near a small bay
called Metja. Here the summer huts are erected and birds and deer are
killed in abundance.
The facility in reaching the lake from Hudson Strait and Frobisher Bay
is a very important consideration, as the Akuliarmiut and the Nugumiut
meet here, and thus an immediate intercourse between the tribes is
opened. The inhabitants of Hudson Strait leave Tuniqten in spring,
arrive at the head of Frobisher Bay in the fall, and after the formation
of the ice reach the Nugumiut settlements by means of sledges. When Hall
wintered in Field Bay a traveling party of Sikosuilarmiut which had
accomplished the distance from King Cape in one year arrived there
(I, p. 267).
Another route, which is practicable only for boats, connects Qaumauang
with Nugumiut. It leads along the shore of Hudson Strait. The traveler
sails through the dangerous passage between Tudjaqdjuaq (Resolution
Island) and the mainland and crosses Frobisher Bay either at its
entrance or in the shelter of the group of islands farther up the bay.
In their intercourse with the Nugumiut, the inhabitants of Cumberland
Sound generally follow the long coast between Ukadliq and Naujateling,
passing through the numerous sounds formed by long, narrow islands.
I can describe this region from personal observations.
_The Oqomiut._--The Eskimo of Davis Strait call the tribes of Cumberland
Sound and Saumia by the name of Oqomiut. The whole of the land from
Prince Regent Inlet to the plateau of Nugumiut is divided by the Eskimo
into three parts, Aggo, Akudnirn, and Oqo--i.e., the weather side, the
center, and the lee side--and accordingly the tribes are called the
Aggomiut, Akudnirmiut, and Oqomiut.
Unquestionably the whole of Cumberland Sound and the coast of Davis
Strait from Cape Mercy to Exeter Sound belong to the Oqo of the Northern
Eskimo. Farther north, the inhabitants of Padli extend their migrations
from Qarmaqdjuin to Qivitung. These people occupy an intermediate
position between the Akudnirmiut and the Oqomiut, having easy
communication with both, and consequently it is doubtful to which they
belong, so that the determination of the boundary between Oqo and
Akudnirn remains arbitrary. In regard to their customs and from the
position of the land, however, they may be more properly joined to the
Akudnirmiut, of whom they would form a subdivision.
The names Oqo, Akudnirn, and Aggo must not be understood as respectively
meaning a region strictly limited: they denote rather directions and the
intervals between the localities situated in these directions. In asking
for the position of Oqo one would be directed southeast, as this is
considered the lee side; in the same way, if asking for Aggo, one would
be directed to the shore of Prince Regent Inlet, the farthest land in
the northwest, the weather side. In Cumberland Sound the natives of
Iglulik are considered Aggomiut, while in Pond Bay they are known as a
separate tribe. In the southern parts the whole of the northern region
is comprised in the name Aggo; in the north Oqo means the whole of the
southeastern regions.
Formerly, the Oqomiut were divided into four subtribes: the
Talirpingmiut, on the west shore of Cumberland Sound; the Qinguamiut,
at the head of it; the Kingnaitmiut, on the east shore; and the
Saumingmiut, on the southeastern slope of the highland of Saumia. The
names are derived from the districts which they inhabit, respectively.
As the head of every fjord is called “qingua” (its head), the upper part
of the large Cumberland Sound is also so named. The Qingua region may be
limited by Imigen on the western shore and Ussualung on the eastern
shore, though the name is applied to a region farther north; indeed, the
name covers the whole district at the head of the sound. In looking from
the head to the entrance of the sound the coasts are called according to
their position: the southwestern Talirpia, i.e., its right one, and the
northeastern Saumia, i.e., its left one; between Saumia and Qingua the
highland Kingnait, i.e., the higher land as compared to the opposite
shore, is situated.
Although at the present time this division is hardly justifiable, the
names of these four tribes are often mentioned on the shore of Davis
Strait. Their old settlements are still inhabited, but their separate
tribal identity is gone, a fact which is due as well to the diminution
in their numbers as to the influence of the whalers visiting them.
In my opinion a great difference between these tribes never existed.
Undoubtedly they were groups of families confined to a certain district
and connected by a common life. Such a community could more easily
develop as long as the number of individuals was a large one. When the
whalers first wintered in Cumberland Sound the population may have
amounted to about 1,500. In 1840, when Penny discovered the sound, he
met 40 Eskimo in Anarnitung (Eenoolooapik, p. 91). The greater number of
the inhabitants were at the head of the fjords fishing for salmon,
others were whaling in Issortuqdjuaq, and some were inland on a deer
hunting expedition. The whole number at that time probably amounted to
200. A few years later the Kingnaitmiut of Qeqerten were able to man
eighteen whaleboats. Assuming five oarsmen and one harpooner to each
boat, the steersman being furnished by the whalers, and for each man one
wife and two children, we have in all about 400 individuals. The
inhabitants of Nettilling Fjord may have numbered as many, and 100 are
said to have lived in Imigen. Penny found in Ugjuktung about 30
individuals who belonged to the Saumingmiut and had come thither from
Davis Strait. Accordingly I estimate the whole tribe at 150 individuals.
On the southwestern coast of the sound between Nuvujen and Naujateling a
large number of natives were reported. They lived in three settlements
and numbered about 600. These estimates are not absolutely reliable,
as they are compiled largely from hearsay and conjecture. Many of the
natives being away in the summer, at the time when these estimates were
made, accuracy in their preparation was impossible. From inquiries which
were made among American whalers who had visited this sound since 1851,
the population of Qeqerten must have been larger than that of any of the
settlements contiguous to the sound. The estimation is the more
difficult as a few settlements were sometimes deserted; for instance,
Ukiadliving, in Saumia, and Qarmaqdjuin (Exeter Bay). Probably eight
settlements, with a population of 200 inhabitants each--i.e., 1,600 in
the sound--would be about the true number in 1840. At first I was
inclined to believe in the existence of a larger number, but from later
reports I should consider this number too large rather than too small.
Since that time the population has diminished at a terrible rate. In
1857 Warmow, a Moravian missionary who accompanied Penny, estimated it
at 300. If this was correct, the rapid diminution must have occurred
during the first years after the rediscovery of the sound. In December,
1883, the Talirpingmiut numbered 86 individuals, the Qinguamiut 60, the
Kingnaitmiut 82, the Saumingmiut 17; total, 245. These were distributed
in eight settlements. Beginning with the most southern settlement, the
Talirpingmiut lived in Umanaqtuaq, Idjorituaqtuin, Nuvujen, and
Qarussuit; the Qinguamiut, in Imigen and Anarnitung; the Kingnaitmiut,
in Qeqerten; the Saumingmiut, in Ukiadliving. Accordingly the population
of the settlements numbered as follows:
M. Men
W. Women
B. Boys
G. Girls
WM Widowers
WW Widows
---------------|----------|-----------------------------|-------
| Married. | Unmarried. |
Name of the |----|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----| Total.
settlement. | M. | W. | WM | WW | M. | W. | B. | G. |
---------------|----|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-------
| | | | | | | | |
Naujateling | 6 | 6 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | 20
Idjorituaqtuin | 3 | 3 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 | 11
Nuvujen | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 4 | 2 | 26
Qarussuit | 10 | 10 | - | 2 | - | - | 2 | 5 | 29
Imigen | 6 | 6 | - | - | - | - | 4 | 1 | 17
Anarnitung | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 8 | 8 | 43
Qeqerten | 26 | 26 | - | 6 | 4 | - | 9 | 1 | 82
Ukiadliving | 6 | 6 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 17
Padli | 11 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 7 | 7 | 43
Akudnirn | 8 | 12 | - | - | 2 | - | (18) | 40
|----|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-------
Total | 96 | 102 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 2 | (98) | 328
---------------|----|-----|----|----|----|----|----|----|-------
I have included in the foregoing table the inhabitants of Davis Strait
and may add that the Nugumiut number about 80, the Eskimo of Pond Bay
about 50 (?), those of Admiralty Inlet 200, and of Iglulik about 150.
The total number of inhabitants of Baffin Land thus ranges between 1,000
and 1,100.
The reason for the rapid diminution in the population of this country is
undoubtedly to be found in the diseases which have been taken thither by
the whalers. Of all these, syphilis has made the greatest ravages among
the natives. Of other diseases I am unable to give a full account and
can only refer to those which came under my observation during the year
that I passed in this region. In Qeqerten a man died of cancer of the
rectum, two women of pneumonia, and five children of diphtheria, this
disease being first brought into the country in 1883. In Anarnitung I
knew of the death of two women and one child. On the west shore a number
of children died of diphtheria, while the health of the adults was good.
In the year 1883-’84 I heard of two births, one occurring in Qeqerten,
the other in Padli. At Qarussuit and Anarnitung there were two
abortions.
The opinion that the Eskimo are dying out on account of an insufficient
supply of food is erroneous, for, even though the natives slaughter the
seals without discrimination or forethought, they do not kill enough to
cause any considerable diminution in numbers. The whalers do not hunt
the seal to any extent, and when one realizes how small the population
of the country is and how vast the territory in which the seal lives it
is easy to understand that famine or want cannot arise, as a rule, from
the cutting off of the natural food supply. In fact, in the spring
enormous numbers of seals may be seen together basking in the sun or
swimming in the water.
The causes of the famines which occur somewhat frequently among the
Eskimo must be sought in another direction. Pressing need often prevails
if in the latter part of the autumn the formation of the floe is
retarded; for in that case hunters are not able either to go hunting in
boats or to procure the necessary food at the edge of the floe, as new
ice is attached to its more solid parts and the seals do not yet open
their breathing holes. Such was the case at Niaqonaujang, on Davis
Strait, in the fall of 1883. Gales of wind following in quick succession
broke the floe. The new ice which had formed immediately prevented the
natives from sealing, and in November and December a famine visited the
settlement. Very soon the supply of blubber was exhausted, and being
unable to feed the dogs the inhabitants were obliged to kill them one
after another and to live upon their frozen carcasses. Only two dogs
survived these months of need and starvation. Consequently the hunting
season was a very poor one, since the natives missed the services of
their dogs, which scent the breathing holes, and could not leave their
settlement for any great distance.
In winter a long spell of bad weather occasions privation, since the
hunters are then prevented from leaving the huts. If by chance some one
should happen to die during this time, famine is inevitable, for a
strict law forbids the performance of any kind of work during the days
of mourning. When this time is over, however, or at the beginning of
good weather, an ample supply is quickly secured. I do not know of any
cases of famine arising from the absolute want of game, but only from
the impossibility of reaching it.
Sometimes traveling parties that are not acquainted with the nature of
the country which they visit are in want of food. For instance, a large
company, consisting of three boat crews, were starved on the eastern
shore of Fox Basin, their boats being crushed by the heavy ice and the
game they expected to find in abundance having left the region
altogether. On one of the numerous islands of Nettilling a number of
women and children perished, as the men, who had been deer hunting, were
unable to find their way back to the place in which they had erected
their huts.
Another case of starvation is frequently mentioned by the Eskimo. Some
families who were traveling from Akuliaq to Nugumiut passed the isthmus
between Hudson Strait and Frobisher Bay. When, after a long and tedious
journey, they had reached the sea, the men left their families near
Qairoliktung and descended with their kayaks to Nugumiut in order to
borrow some boats in which they could bring their families to the
settlements. On the way they were detained by stormy weather, and
meanwhile the families were starved and resorted to cannibalism. One
woman especially, by the name of Megaujang, who ate all her children,
was always mentioned with horror.
Generally food is plentiful between the months of April and October and
an ample supply may be secured without extraordinary exertion. During
the winter sealing is more difficult, but sufficiently successful to
prevent any want, except in the case of continuous bad weather.
I shall now proceed to a description of the single settlements of
Cumberland Sound. Separated from the Nugumiut by a long and uninhabited
stretch of land we find the settlement of Naujateling, the most southern
one of the Talirpingmiut. In the fall the natives erect their huts on
the mainland or on an island near it, as the seal, at this season,
resort to the narrow channels and to the fjords. Besides, the shelter
which is afforded by the islands against the frequent gales is an
important consideration, and in these protected waters the natives can
manage their frail boats, which would not live for a moment in the
tempestuous open sea. Later in the season the ice consolidates in the
shelter of the islands, while beyond the bays and channels drifting
floes fill the sea.
After the consolidation of the pack ice the natives move their huts to
the sea. They leave Naujateling about December and move to Umanaqtuaq.
I do not know exactly where they live if the water reaches that island.
Should this happen, the floe between Qaχodluin, Umanaqtuaq, and
Idjorituaqtuin would offer a productive hunting ground.
About the middle of March the season for hunting the young seal opens.
The hunt is prosecuted with much energy over the entire extent of
Cumberland Sound, because the white coat of the young animal is of prime
importance for the inner garments. The pregnant females take to the
rough ice, where deep snowbanks have been formed by the winter gales,
and dig large excavations, in which parturition takes place. Another
favorite place is the ground ice on gradually declining shores, where
large caves are found between the broken pieces of ice. Therefore the
fjords and islands which offer a long coast line furnish a good hunting
ground, and in the latter part of March and in April the Eskimo either
visit these regions or the floes of rough ice. At such times they
sometimes live for a long period on the ice of the open sea in order to
be nearer to their hunting ground. As the success of the hunt depends on
the extent of ice visited, the Eskimo scatter over a large area, almost
every one traveling over a separate tract.
At this time the winter settlements are almost totally broken up. Some
of the natives of Naujateling go bear hunting instead of “young
sealing,” but only a few polar bears lose their way into Cumberland
Sound. They are generally found within a few miles of the floe edge, and
even if the water reaches pretty far up the sound they do not travel
beyond Qaχodluin and Miliqdjuaq, nor does the pack ice carry them far up
the sound in summer. On one occasion, in the year 1880, three bears were
seen near Qeqerten, about five years earlier one was killed in Qingua,
and almost twenty years earlier another one near Anarnitung. Every
occurrence of this kind is considered an event of such importance that
it is talked about for years afterwards. I myself saw bear tracks in
Kouaqdjuaq in March, 1884, and also at Miliqdjuaq. In February a bear
was killed between Kautaq and Naujateling.
If the water washes the foot of the cliffs between Kautaq and Sulung,
the Eskimo cross the isthmus which lies between Ijelirtung, the eastern
branch of Qasigidjen, and Qaχodluin Bay on a sledge road and hunt among
the islands that are scattered along the shore south of Qaχodluin. In
summer they visit the same region on their hunting excursions.
The principal summer settlements are at the head of Qasigidjen and
Kangertlung Fjords, which are situated near Idjorituaqtuin and
Qimissung.
From here they ascend the plateau of Nugumiut and hunt on the level
highlands. I think it takes them but a day to travel to the top of the
plateau. They travel from Qasigidjen to Agdlinartung, a fjord of
Frobisher Bay, whence the Nugumiut ascend the highland. Another route
leads from Kangertlung to Eχaluin, near the head of Frobisher Bay.
Farther up the sound we find the winter settlement of Idjorituaqtuin.
The same relation exists between this place and Qimissung as between
Umanaqtuaq and Naujateling. On Qimissung, which lies near the mainland,
the natives gather in the fall after returning from deer hunting, and
only move to Idjorituaqtuin after the freezing up of the sea. Deer are
hunted inland, the summer settlements being at the head of one of the
numerous fjords of the west shore. Favorite places are Kangertlung,
which is also visited by the Naujateling Eskimo; Eχaluin, which can be
reached from Kangertlung by a short overland road; Auqardneling; and
Utiqimitung, at the entrance of Nettilling Fjord. A large river, which,
according to Eskimo reports, runs through the greater part of the
peninsula, empties into Auqardneling. As it is very deep and wide it
cannot be crossed without a vessel of some character, and thus it puts a
stop to the migrations from Kangertlung and Eχaluin. In traveling from
Kangertlung to Frobisher Bay the river must be crossed. To accomplish
this the natives fill a deerskin with shrubs, sew it up, and float
themselves across. Only the road leading from Qasigidjen to Frobisher
Bay avoids the river.
North of Idjorituaqtuin we find the winter settlement of Nuvujen with
the fall settlement, Nuvujalung, a high cliff at the entrance of
Nettilling Fjord, belonging to it.
By far the most interesting branch of the Talirpingmiut are the
inhabitants of Nettilling Fjord. Among all the tribes of Baffin Land
this one claims particular attention, as it is the only one whose
residence is not limited to the seashore. From Greenland to the mouth of
the Mackenzie only two Eskimo tribes are known who do not live all the
year round on the coast of the sea. These are the Talirpingmiut and the
Kinipetu of Chesterfield Inlet. Back and Anderson and Stewart say that
the latter tribe spend a great part of the year at the lakes of Back
River.
Formerly the Talirpingmiut had three or four settlements on Lake
Nettilling: at Tikeraqdjung, near the south point of the lake; at the
outlet of Koukdjuaq, on the left bank of the river, opposite to
Nikosiving Island; at Qarmang; and probably a fourth one, on the north
shore. As the lake abounds with seals, they could live here at all
seasons. Its western part seems to have been particularly fitted for
winter stations. In the winter of 1877-’78, three families staid near
Koukdjuaq without encountering any considerable difficulty in procuring
food. This was the last time that natives passed the winter at the lake;
the greater portion of the tribe may have retreated to Nettilling Fjord
about twenty years ago.
Though the Eskimo assert that the discovery of Lake Nettilling is of
recent date, naming two men, Kadlu and Sagmu, as those who first reached
it, this assertion is not trustworthy, for with them almost every
historical tradition is supposed to have originated a comparatively
short time ago. I was told, for instance, that an event which is the
subject of the tale Igimarasugdjuqdjuaq the cannibal occurred at the
beginning of this century, and yet the tradition is told almost word for
word in Greenland and in Labrador.
Just so with Kadlu and Sagmu. According to the assertion of the natives
the lake was discovered by the generation before the last--i.e., about
1810--and yet an old woman about seventy-five years of age told me that
her grandfather when a young man, starting from Nettilling, had visited
Iglulik and that he had lived on the lake. The customs and habits of the
Eskimo would have led to the discovery of the lake very soon after the
first visit to Cumberland Sound, and no doubt their attention was then
called to the abundance of game in this region.
The greater part of the natives spent the winter in Nettilling Fjord,
starting on their way inland about the beginning of May, and returning
to the sea about December. I suppose that cases in which men spent their
whole life on the lake were exceptional, for they are referred to by the
natives as remarkable events. For instance, a man called Neqsiang, who
had two wives, lived on a small island near Koukdjuaq and never
descended to Cumberland Sound. A few times only he is said to have sent
his son to barter with the Talirpingmiut of Nettilling Fjord. He came to
Qarussuit in the spring, but returned after a short stay. It may be
remarked here that the total absence of salt does not prevent the
natives from staying on Lake Nettilling.
About 1850 the mode of life of the Talirpingmiut was as follows: In
November they gathered in Isoa, the easternmost bay of the lake,
descended toward the sea, and lived during the following months at the
entrance of Nettilling Fjord. There they lived in the same manner as the
other Oqomiut, pursuing the seals at their breathing holes. In the
spring they hunted young seals; but, when the other natives began to
prepare for whaling, they traveled on sledges westward. They avoided the
large tide holes of the long fjord by making use of a few passes.
Although the fjord is impassable in spring, a safe road leads along its
northern shore to its northern branch, Kangertlukdjuaq, where the water
hole Sarbaqdualung may be avoided by crossing the land at Tunukutang.
In the spring large water holes are formed near Neqemiarbing and at the
entrance of Audnerbing, compelling travelers to pass over the island
which separates the two passages of Sarbaqdualung. The pass Tunukutang,
which is used in winter, consists of a steep and narrow neck of land,
which separates a small lake from Kangertlukdjuaq, and a short and
winding river, the outlet of the lake. The second tide hole of the fjord
may be passed by the branches Qasigidjen and Sarbaqdjukulu and the
adjoining flat isthmus. The holes of Qognung, yet farther up the fjord,
do not hinder the natives, as they do not occupy the whole width of the
floe.
At length they reached Kangia, and from here a chain of small lakes was
ascended, the watershed Ujaraqdjuin was crossed, and finally they
arrived at Amitoq. Cairns are everywhere erected on prominent points for
way marks. After they had come to Lake Nettilling, they rested a short
time at Isoa, where the skin boats and the necessary household goods had
been left the preceding fall. These were lashed upon the sledges and
then they traveled as quickly as possible to the west. After following
the southeastern shore to Tikeraqdjuaq they crossed the lake to a point
near Tikeraqdjung, whence they went along the southern shore of the
lake, reaching Koukdjuaq in about a fortnight. Here their tents were
established on the left bank of the river, opposite to Nikosiving, where
they staid until the breaking up of the ice. Then the men descended the
river in their kayaks. Four days they followed the coast, passing the
bay of Aggirtijung before they reached Qudjitariaq, a long and deep
river, which they ascended. For a few weeks they hunted deer among the
lakes of this region, which is called Majoraridjen, and then slowly
turned southward. At last, about the latter half of August, they reached
Qarmang, where at the beginning of summer the women and old men had
arrived in their large boats. Here the whole party stopped until the
lake was frozen up. Then they returned on sledges to Isoa and to the
sea.
It would be very interesting to learn how far the natives formerly
extended their migrations along the shore of Fox Basin and whether a
regular intercourse existed between Iglulik and Cumberland Sound.
According to reports of some old Eskimo, who had themselves passed the
winter on the lake, there was always a small settlement at Qarmang. From
here the shore of Fox Basin was reached with great ease. If, however,
the route through Koukdjuaq had to be taken, a long, roundabout way was
necessary. According to all reports, even in olden times expeditions to
Iglulik were very rare. It is said that one was made about 1750 by a
party under the leadership of an Eskimo, Makulu. About 1800 another
party left, in which Kotuko assumed the leadership. About these a more
detailed account exists. With a few boats and four kayaks they left
Nettilling and followed the coast. Alone in his kayak, Kotuko visited
Sagdlirn, an island east of Iglulik, but he did not see any people,
as they were on a hunting excursion. He found one hut and a large dog.
There were a great number of deerskins and walrus tusks, which proved
the existence of an abundance of game. He returned, but on account of
the prevailing fog could scarcely find his kayak. The absence of the
party is said to have lasted three years.
About 1820 another party left for Iglulik, among whom two women, Amaroq
and Sigjeriaq, were the most prominent. When they returned, after an
absence of three years, they praised the country (Piling), where they
had spent some time, as a land of plenty and abundance, and by these
tales, in 1835, induced three boat crews to leave Nettilling in order to
visit this happy land. They were grievously disappointed and after many
misfortunes they perished on the narrow isthmus of Ipiuting. Their
bodies were found by the Iglulik Eskimo, who related that the poor
fellows had resorted to cannibalism. Among those who perished was a
sister of the famous Hannah (Taqulitu), the companion of Hall in his
travels in the Arctic. I must mention here that Hall, in 1868, met a
native at Iglulik who was said to belong to Cumberland Sound. As,
however, in Iglulik Cumberland Sound and Davis Strait are often
confounded, I am inclined to think he was a native of the latter region.
From these facts it appears that a regular intercourse between the
tribes along the shore of Fox Basin never existed, though formerly
interviews were more frequent than they are at present. Since the last
mentioned expedition no Eskimo has visited Piling, nor have any gone by
the way of Lake Nettilling to Iglulik. Accordingly the ideas of the
Oqomiut about that region are very indefinite. An old man was the only
person whom I could find who knew Iglulik by name and remembered Ingnirn
and Piling, two places which had been inhabited by many Eskimo. He
mentioned another inhabited region beyond Iglulik, Augpalugtijung, which
I was not able to identify. It was described as a large peninsula.
It is worth remarking that the Talirpingmiut seem never to have traveled
over the country south of Koukdjuaq. I have not even heard mentioned a
single hunting excursion made in this direction.
In the foregoing paragraphs I have described the mode of life of the
greater part of the Talirpingmiut. Still another part staid in
Cumberland Sound until the ice had gone and went away in the latter half
of July. The passage through the rapids of the fjords was very
dangerous, as in the whirlpools and overfalls the bulky boats were
easily capsized. Therefore the changing of the tides had to be
considered in order to effect a safe passage. The men preferred carrying
the kayaks over the passes in order to avoid the dangers imminent to
their frail crafts. Even up to this day tradition tells of a disaster
which happened when the stubborn owner of a boat, against the warning of
his friends, tried to pass Sarbaqdualung when the spring tide was
running swiftly. The boat was upset and the crew were drowned, with the
exception of one woman, who was saved on a bundle of deerskins.
From Kangia boats had to be carried over the portages Igpirto,
Igpirtousirn, and Ujaraqdjuin. The rapids of Angmartung were also
avoided by a portage over the level bottom of the valley. After passing
Taquirbing, Lake Nettilling was reached, on the shore of which the huts
were erected. In the fall the party returned before the beginning of the
cold season. It has been already mentioned that only a few of the
natives staid at the lake during the entire year, and even among these
there were some who descended to the sea in March to take part in the
young sealing, for the skins of the young seal cannot be altogether
replaced by deerskins.
At the present time it is exceptional for any one to remain inland
during the entire year. There may be seals enough in the lake to prevent
hunger or starvation, but they are taken much more easily from the sea.
In case of a lack of blubber, deer’s marrow may be used for fuel. It is
probable that the high mortality of recent years has induced the Eskimo
to band together more closely than they formerly did and to adopt the
plan of returning to Nettilling Fjord at the beginning of winter. In the
fall the boats and other articles which are of no use in winter are left
in Isoa, and some time is spent in Kangia, where snow houses are built.
Here the kayaks are left, and in December, when the sealing begins to be
more successful near the sound, the Eskimo turn to the entrance of
Nettilling Fjord, where Tininiqdjuaq and Neqemiarbing are favorite
places. Seals are hunted there with the harpoon in the same way as in
the other settlements or Sarbaqdualung is visited for the purpose of
shooting seals which frequent the tide holes. This, however, is not a
favorite way of hunting, as the ice near the tide holes is very rough
and treacherous.
In March and April young seals are caught on the shores of the numerous
islands between Tininiqdjuaq and Nuvujalung, and at the same time the
old settlements are left, as large water holes begin to appear.
Qarussuit and Qingaseareang are the favorite places about this time of
the year.
As soon as the young sealing is finished the hunt of the basking seal is
opened, which is very successful here. Nowhere else did I see such large
numbers of animals enjoying the warmth of the sun as in Nettilling
Fjord. In April, when on the east shore scarcely any dared to leave the
water, hundreds might be seen here. By the first of May all the natives
have procured a sufficient number of sealskins for their summer dress,
the skins being then in the best condition, as the first moulting has
just occurred. This done, they eagerly prepare for the journey to the
lake.
The natives start in the first week of May, and in two or three days
arrive at Kangia, whence they reach Isoa in one day’s journey. Following
the southern shore of Lake Nettilling they sleep the first night on
Tikeraqdjuausirn, the second on the island Manirigtung, near
Tikeraqdjuaq, and five days after leaving Qarussuit arrive at
Tikeraqdjung, where they settle for the summer. As numerous deer are
found in this region, they live without any care or trouble. Very soon
after their arrival the birds return. While moulting great quantities of
these are caught. The geese are so abundant here that they are fed to
the dogs. Many deer are caught while passing the deep river which runs
from Lake Amaqdjuaq to Lake Nettilling. Frequently they visit the
southern plains, which are filled with lakes and lakelets. Sometimes
they go as far as Amaqdjuaq, which, as the older natives report, was
formerly a summer settlement.
In the river whose outlet is near Padli salmon are caught in abundance.
In this district the Talirpingmiut stay until the eastern part of the
lake is frozen over.
In the shelter of the islands the floe is more quickly formed than in
the open water of the western part, and in November the natives return
by sledges to Isoa.
As they take with them heavy loads of deerskins they make very slow
progress and generally arrive at their place of destination after six
days of traveling. Sometimes they make a short trip to Isoa in March or
April to hunt deer or to look for the things which were left behind in
Kangia and Isoa at the time of their last departure.
Besides the Talirpingmiut quite a number of Cumberland Sound natives
visit the lake by means of boats. They cross the sound after the
breaking up of the ice and go to Nettilling, carrying the boats over the
portages between Kangia and Isoa. As the Talirpingmiut have no boats
they stay at Tikeraqdjuaq; the other natives, however, sometimes change
their habitations and even visit Qarmang and the north shore of the
lake. These journeys, however, are rare, for in the eastern part an
inexhaustible supply of food may be obtained; therefore long excursions
are quite unnecessary. At the beginning of October the boats leave the
lake and the natives return to the fall settlements in the sound.
Nettilling Fjord, with its numerous islands, forms the northern boundary
of Talirpia. Farther north we come to Qingua, the head of Tiniqdjuarbing
(Cumberland Sound). It extends from Imigen to Ussualung. The winter
settlement on the island of Imigen is situated in the midst of one of
the best winter hunting grounds, for the southern portion of the island,
on which the huts are erected, projects far out into the sea. The hunt
is often rendered somewhat difficult by the rough ice which is due to
the strong currents between Pujetung, Imigen, and Nettilling Fjord.
Towards spring the natives sometimes resort to a place yet nearer the
open sea, the largest island of the Pujetung group. Young seals are
caught near Imigen, at the Kilauting Islands, and in Qaggilortung. This
district, however, cannot be visited every year, as almost every spring
the whole area west of a line from Imigen to Anarnitung is covered with
very deep and soft snow, which prevents the Eskimo from using their dog
sledges. When this condition prevails the natives settle on the sea ice
between Augpalugtung and Imigen, or a little farther north, and remain
there from the middle of March until the latter part of April.
These natives go deer hunting either to Issortuqdjuaq--where they live
at Eχaluaqdjuin, Sirmiling, or Midlurieling--or to Eχaluqdjuaq, near
Ussualung, where they hunt in the hilly land adjoining the ice-covered
Penny Plateau. As the land farther northwest is said to consist of
irregular hills and disconnected valleys, the skins and the meat of the
killed deer would have to be carried up and down hills before the
settlement was reached. Therefore the natives dislike hunting in this
part of the country.
Eχaluaqdjuin and Eχaluqdjuaq, as is denoted by the names, are productive
salmon rivers. In starting from the former and ascending a narrow
valley, Lake Eχoleaqdjuin is reached, whence a pass leads to the valley
adjoining Eχaluaqdjuin. Taking another road the long Lake Imeraqdjuaq is
reached, which borders upon the glaciers of the highland. From here,
after a four days’ tramp following a large river, the traveler comes to
Midlurieling. From Issortuqdjuaq a narrow isthmus offering a good
sledging road is used in visiting the head of Qaggilortung. Another
route, which is suitable only for foot passengers, leads by a chain of
lakes to the head of Kangertlukdjuaq. It is not necessary to enumerate
the overland routes in this district, as numerous valleys permit the
traveler to pass from the east to the west and from the south to the
north. In the fall the natives resort to Saunirtung or to
Saunirtuqdjuaq, two islands northwest of Imigen, where they stay until
January, when they return to the sea.
The second settlement of the Qinguamiut is Anarnitung, at the northern
entrance of Qaggilortung. The small island and the neighboring point of
Igdlungajung are, next to Qeqerten, the seat of the most important
settlement of Cumberland Sound. On the southern and eastern declivity of
the low hills which form this island are a number of very old stone
foundations (see p. 549), such as are found everywhere on the Arctic
shores of North America (Baffin-Land, p. 77).
If the ice in the upper parts of the sound is smooth, families belonging
to this community settle on Kilauting, the largest island of a group
running from northwest to southeast a few miles north of Imigen. Here
they go sealing with the harpoon. If the ice, however, is rough (as it
happened to be during my stay in Cumberland Sound), they remain in
Anarnitung, whence some go to the water holes at the entrance of
Issortuqdjuaq and shoot the blowing seals, while others go hunting on
the ice near Anarnitung.
During the young sealing season they almost always leave the island. The
favorite resort at this season is Sakiaqdjung, near Manituling, in
Qaggilortung, but heavy snowfalls often compel them to exchange this
region for the open sea. If they insist upon stopping there, snowshoes
are used as the only means of traveling in the deep and soft snow. In
1878, when the Florence wintered in Anarnitung Harbor, the greater part
of the natives remained near the ship; but her presence is accountable
for this exception, as some of the families were in her service and
others staid near her in order to barter seals, skins, &c.
Of some importance are the passes leading around the numerous water
holes at the head of Cumberland Sound. The narrow island of Nudnirn,
which separates Sarbuqdjuaq from Putukin, offers a good passage by way
of a deep valley. Should the passage be made in a mild winter or in
spring, when the water holes of Sarbuqdjuaq have enlarged, they must
avoid the latter by passing over the inconvenient isthmus of
Itidliaping, west of the steep cliff Naujan.
In spring the tide holes of Kangidliuta extend over the passage between
that island and Surosirn, preventing sledges from passing to
Issortuqdjuaq or to Tessiujang. Then Qaχodlualung is crossed by the way
of Naqoreang or the more southerly Tappitariaq, which leads into the
sound near Siegtung. Both passes are very inconvenient. From Tessiujang,
Issortuqdjuaq may be reached by the fjords Ugjuktung and Itijareling and
by the adjoining passes.
Lastly, I have to mention the road formerly used by the natives of
Anarnitung in traveling to Nettilling. They crossed the entrance of
Qaggilortung and ascended Tarrionitung, whence they came by the Lakes
Qamusiojodlang and Irtiujang to Missirtung, in Nettilling Fjord, thus
avoiding a much longer journey around the large peninsula projecting to
the eastward. A similar pass farther east connects Tornait and
Kangertlukjuaq.
The ruins of a third settlement of the Qinguamiut are found at Tulukan
on Qeqertelung.
The next subtribe to be treated is the Kingnaitmiut, who are now located
exclusively upon Qeqerten. Formerly they lived in several places--for
instance, near Pangnirtung and on Miliaqdjuin--but for a long time they
have gathered on Qeqerten, as two whaling stations are established here,
many natives being in the service of the whalers. The island is the
largest settlement of the sound. It is a favorite resort during the fall
and the first part of winter. In November and December, before the ice
of the sound consolidates, the ice east of the islands is the best
hunting ground. Later that west of the islands is preferred. There is
one disadvantage peculiar to Qeqerten which is not shared by the other
settlements, namely, the fohn-like winds which often blow for many days
from Kingnait Fjord with irresistible violence. These confine the
natives to their huts, though a few miles north or south calm weather
prevails. Should fair weather ensue, the snow, which has been firmly
packed by these gales, affords a good hunting ground; but if, on the
other hand, long spells of bad weather follow, want and hunger may be
the result. The young seals are eagerly pursued all about Qeqerten.
In Pangnirtung and in the little valley Niutang, in Kingnait, well up in
these fjords, are the ruins of two large, ancient settlements. The
conditions which formerly enabled the natives to live here will be
mentioned later.
The Kingnaitmiut go deer hunting to Kitingujang, at the head of Kingnait
Fjord; to Nirdlirn, in the bay behind Augpalugtung and Sednirun; to
Pangnirtung; or to the more southern fjords Eχaluaqdjuin and
Kangertlukdjuaq.
I shall describe the districts occupied by the Kingnaitmiut,
Saumingmiut, and Padlimiut together, as they all bear a uniform
character.
From Nirdlirn the mountains of Ussualung or the highland near Ukiuqdjuaq
are visited. The same country is traveled over from Pangnirtung, where
the settlement is established either above Qordlubing or opposite
Aulitiving. The deep valley, with its numerous glaciers, adjoining
Pangnirtung and connecting Cumberland Sound and Davis Strait is rarely
visited.
The favorite place for the settlement is Kitingujang in Kingnait. In the
river which empties here many salmon are caught, and the declivities of
the neighboring highlands, which are less steep than those of
Pangnirtung, afford ample opportunity for long hunting excursions. Deer
are found on the mountains, for here they escape the mosquitoes which
swarm in the valleys. The natives do not go beyond Padli, but most of
them have been there. They often travel through the valleys of
Nerseqdjuaq and Tunussung to Pangnirtung, of Davis Strait, down the
eastern shore of which they go a considerable distance. Sometimes they
make boat excursions during the summer from Kitingujang, visiting the
brooks which empty into Kingnait Fjord, or they settle in Tornait,
whence Tupirbikdjuin in Pangnirtung is accessible by the wide valleys
surrounding Angiuqaq.
I may omit the description of the separate summer habitations farther
south, for the head of every fjord and every valley that is a means of
reaching the interior are used for erecting the tents. The interior of
the region, which is covered with ice, remains unvisited, no game being
found there. Therefore it may be said in general that the Eskimo are
limited to the peninsulas formed by the numerous fjords.
The Saumingmiut visit the southern fjords of Cumberland Peninsula, where
I have marked the settlements on the chart. Here they pursue deer and
polar bears, which frequently come down to Cape Mercy during the summer.
An important summer settlement of the Saumingmiut is Touaqdjuaq, from
which place they visit the peninsula limited by Exeter Sound and
Touaqdjuaq. An important summer station of both Saumingmiut and
Padlimiut is Qarmaqdjuin, while Eχaloaping (Durban Harbor of the
whalers), near the entrance of Padli, is visited only by the latter
tribe.
The number of deer on Cumberland Peninsula is so variable that the
result of the hunt is often unsatisfactory. Although in some seasons
numerous herds are met, in others scarcely enough animals are killed to
afford a sufficient stock of skins for the winter clothing. Early in the
spring the deer pass quite regularly through Itidlirn (the lower part of
Padli Valley, between Ikaroling and Padli), in their migrations from
Narpaing to Qarmaqdjuin. I was told that in both the latter districts
many deer can be found at all times.
Lastly, I have to describe the winter settlements of the Saumingmiut.
They are in the habit of separating in the fall, part of them staying
during winter on Qeqertaujang, in Ugjuktung, and the remainder at
Ukiadliving, on Davis Strait.
Strange as it may seem, walrus are not found in the upper part of the
sound, while farther south they are abundant. Akuliaχating, east of
Qeqerten, is the most northern point that they visit. It is said that in
former times they were met with everywhere in the sound, and indeed some
of the local names give evidence of the truth of these traditions; for
instance, the name of Uglirn (which is always applied to walrus
islands), in the fjord Qaggilortung, and that of Anarnitung (a place
having a bad smell from walrus excrement), at the head of the sound.
Before Cumberland Sound begins to freeze up, the Eskimo of Ugjuktung
take walrus on the islands Uglirn, south of Qeqertaujang, and at
Qeqertaq in Anartuajuin. The animals killed during the fall are buried
under stones, and with this stock of provisions the Saumingmiut do not
suffer want during the winter. In addition, however, they go sealing at
the entrance of Ugjuktung, or travel overland to Kangertloaping,
a branch of Kouaqdjuaq, as Nuvukdjuaq is almost always washed by water
and cannot be passed in winter. The young sealing is here of little
importance, as the bears visit the fjords about this season and frighten
the animals away. In March the natives go bear hunting or move up the
sound to join the Kingnaitmiut during the time of young sealing. In the
spring the settlement is always abandoned, as most of them go to Davis
Strait and join the other part of the tribe. Crossing the country, they
travel over a pass leading from Anartuajuin to Ujaradjiraaitjung.
The favorite settlement on the east coast is Ukiadliving. There are
several stone foundations in this place which are frequently
reconstructed and used as dwellings. Here walrus are hunted in the
summer and in the fall and a great stock of provisions is laid up. In
winter the floe offers a good hunting ground for sealing and in the
spring the bears visit the land and the islands to pursue the pupping
(i.e., pregnant or parturient) seals. At the same time the she bear
brings forth her young, the meat and skin of which are highly prized.
Many old bears and cubs are killed at this season and the precious skins
are prepared for sale.
Besides the beforementioned route another and longer one leads to
Cumberland Sound. In taking this course the sledges start from
Nedluqseaq, west of Ukiadliving, and follow a river which rises in a
small lake whence the inland ice is ascended. Farther on the valley
leading to Eχaluaqdjuin and Kangertlukdjuaq is reached. This is the only
overland route on which the inland ice is crossed. Cape Mercy can be
passed by a number of short isthmuses. In the shelter of the bay formed
by the cape and Muingmang a floe is formed reaching to the foot of
Uibarun (Cape Mercy). The pass Tappitaridjen, which cuts off two
peninsulas, leads into the sound. The bays farther west are frozen up
and the projecting points are avoided by short passes. Unfortunately
this road was unknown to me during my stay in Saumia, else I could have
easily visited Cape Mercy. At last Anartuajuin is reached. The water
rarely extends to Nuvukdjuaraqdjung, the point between Anartuajuin and
Ugjuktung. It may be passed by a difficult road leading across the
peninsula. If the water extends to Iliqimisarbing a pass is used which
is ascended from Eχalualuin, in the bay of Naujaqdjuaq.
On Davis Strait a few important isthmuses must be mentioned. One is used
by the inhabitants of Ukiadliving in traveling to Exeter Sound. They
leave the sea at the head of Touaqdjuaq and by a difficult overland
route cross to the southern shore of Exeter Sound. Much of the time the
ice and snow near Udlimaulitelling make the route almost impassable in
that direction. If, therefore, this route is impracticable or that
through Touaqdjuaq is too difficult on account of the absence of snow,
the journey is postponed until late in spring, when the hummocks begin
to be leveled off and the snow becomes harder as it settles; then the
rough ice can be passed, and after reaching Ituatukan, a fjord near Cape
Walsingham, the Eskimo ascend it, so as to avoid the cape, which is
always washed by water. If snow and ice are in a suitable condition the
passage by way of Ituatukan is always preferred.
From Exeter Sound Kangertlukdjuaq, in Padli Fjord, may be reached by a
pass of short extent; but the snow is always so deep here that the
passage cannot be effected until June. The peninsulas between Padli
Fjord and Exeter Sound, which have no ice foot, can be crossed by narrow
isthmuses near the head of the bays.
Before leaving Cumberland Sound and its inhabitants, the Oqomiut,
altogether, I wish to add a few remarks on the whale fishery, which the
Eskimo formerly carried on in their bulky skin boats. They pursued the
monstrous animal in all waters with their imperfect weapons, for a
single capture supplied them with food and fuel for a long time. I do
not know with certainty whether the natives used to bring their boats to
the floe edge in the spring in order to await the arrival of the whales,
as the Scotch and American whalers do nowadays, or whether the animals
were caught only in summer. On Davis Strait the Padlimiut and the
Akudnirmiut used to erect their tents in June near the floe edge, whence
they went whaling, sending the meat, blubber, and whalebone to the main
settlement. In Cumberland Sound whales were caught in all the fjords,
particularly in Kingnait, Issortuqdjuaq, and the narrow channels of the
west shore. Therefore the Eskimo could live in the fjords during the
winter, as the provisions laid up in the fall lasted until spring. If,
therefore, there is a perceptible diminution in the supply of their food
it is due to the fact that the whale fishery has been abandoned by them
or rather has been yielded up to Europeans and Americans. It is not
probable, however, that a sufficient number of whales were ever caught
to support the entire population during the whole of the winter. The
whaling is still kept up by the Eskimo of Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay,
though only to a limited extent, owing to the visits of whaling ships
and the establishment of whaling stations.
_The Padlimiut and the Akudnirmiut._--The next tribes to be described
are the Padlimiut and the Akudnirmiut, but this may be done very
briefly, as the nature of this region is similar to that of Saumia.
A peculiarity of the Akudnirmiut is their more decided migratory
character as compared with the Oqomiut. They do not spend every winter
at the same place, as we observed that the Oqomiut do, but are more
inclined to visit, in turn, the different winter stations of their
country.
In summer the following places are almost always inhabited: Qarmaqdjuin,
Eχaloaping in Padli Fjord, Qivitung, and Niaqonaujang. The deer hunting
season opens here at the same time as farther south, but it is much
facilitated from the fact that the ice breaks up later. The deer visit
the numerous islands scattered along the mainland and thus their
pasturing ground is easily reached. As the islands of Home Bay
constitute a good hunting ground the Eskimo sometimes settle there for a
few weeks.
The long, low peninsula Pamiujang, near Nedluqseaq, and the head of
Nudlung are the favorite summer settlements of the Padlimiut. Nudlung,
Eχalualuin, Ijelirtung, and Inugsuin are visited by the Akudnirmiut. An
abundance of deer is found along the southern part of Home Bay, where
the plains extend to the sea. It is remarkable that all along this shore
there is no island on which birds build their nests. Though fowls do not
form an important constituent of the food of the Oqomiut and the more
southern tribes, the egg islands are frequently visited. On Davis Strait
it is only by chance that ducks &c. are caught, and eggs can scarcely be
obtained. The only island which is visited by birds is Avaudjelling,
in Home Bay. In July, however, large flocks of eider ducks descend
Itirbilung Fjord and many are caught near its head. From this fjord an
overland route, which is practicable only in summer, leads to Piling,
a district on the shore of Fox Basin, which may be reached in three
days. Though the route is well known, it seems to be passing into
disuse; at least I do not know any natives who have crossed the land by
it. Another interesting road leading overland must be mentioned, namely,
the one which leads from Nudlung and Eχalualuin to Majoraridjen and
Nettilling. The former region is still visited by the Akudnirmiut, but I
know of but one family who went to Nettilling and wintered there.
As a rule, about the beginning of August the Akudnirmiut move to
Niaqonanjang in order to have an opportunity of meeting the whalers on
their way south. For the same reason the southern families gather at
Qivitung.
As soon as the sea is frozen up, part of the natives of Qivitung move
southward and settle on Qeqertuqdjuaq, where they stay until February,
while in spring some stay here or move farther up the bay, where they
establish their huts on Qeqertaq; the rest travel to Padli Fjord and
live with the families who had passed the winter there on Padloping. As
the floe edge approaches the land here, the country is favorable for
bear hunting, which is pursued in March and April. In June the natives
move up Padli Fjord to catch salmon, which are found in enormous numbers
at Padli. A few visit Agpan, where flocks of loons nest. The natives who
intend to return to Qivitung in summer leave about the end of May or the
beginning of June.
Those who remain at Qivitung during the winter go sealing in the bay
east of the peninsula and subsist upon the product of this occupation,
as well as on the walrus meat which was stored up in the summer and
autumn. A few leave Qivitung after the consolidation of the floe and
settle on Nanuqtaqdjung, an island in Home Bay, near the northern point
of Qeqertalukdjuaq.
In the winter the Akudnirmiut of Niaqonaujang generally remove to
Ipiutelling, on the southern shore of Koukteling, and in May go farther
south, to the island Avaudjelling. In the spring they go bear hunting on
Koukteling and the peninsula of Niaqonaujang, where the she bears dig
holes in the snow banks, in which they whelp.
Though the isthmuses are of great value in facilitating the intercourse
between the separate settlements of Cumberland Sound and Davis Strait,
as their headlands are washed by water, they are not indispensable for
the tribes of Davis Strait, for the ice is passable at all points. The
low peninsulas are crossed by the natives in their travels in preference
to rounding their headlands. Thus they not only shorten their journey,
but they avoid the rough ice often found off the points.
For example, a pass leads from the western bay of Padli Fjord to
Kangertloaping, and another from Tessiujang, near Qivitung, across the
narrow and low isthmus into Home Bay. Similar passes are used in
crossing Koukteling, the peninsulas of Niaqonaujang, Aqojang, and
Aqojartung.
At Niaqonaujang I reached the limit of my travels and have only to add
reports which I obtained from other tribes and in other settlements.
River Clyde and Aqbirtijung are not always inhabited, but are visited at
irregular intervals by the Akudnirmiut, the same who usually stay at
Niaqonaujang. It is probable that Aqbirtijung and Kangertlualung are
sometimes visited by the Tununirmiut of Pond Bay.
_The Aggomiut._--I can say but little about the two subtribes of the
Aggomiut (the Tununirmiut and the Tununirusirmiut), as the reports are
scanty and the chart of the region is too incorrect to convey any exact
information. A few statements may be derived from the Eskimo charts
published by Hall (II, pp. 356 and 370). It appears that the natives
winter near the entrance of Navy Board Inlet and in the back of Eclipse
Sound. Settlements of the Tununirusirmiut at the western entrance of
Admiralty Inlet and near its head are mentioned by Hall. Besides seals
these natives also pursue the white whales and narwhals which frequent
the sound. In summer the Tununirmiut live at the entrance of Pond Bay.
Although I am not informed as to the position of the settlements, and
for this reason am unable to judge of the details of the life of the
Aggomiut, I can give the more general facts of their relations to the
neighboring tribes. Of the greatest importance is their connection with
the Iglulirmiut, for through them a regular intercourse is kept up
between the continent of America and the eastern shore of Baffin Land.
One road leads through Kangertlukdjuaq, a fjord east of Parry’s Murray
Maxwell Inlet, to the head of Anaulereëling. I received a detailed
description of this road from a native whom I met at Niaqonaujang.
Hall’s statement that this way leads to Pond Bay is very likely
erroneous, as the natives probably said that it led to Tununirn, which
comprises the whole district of Eclipse Sound and the region east of it.
It is possible that another road leads to Eχaluin, a fjord of Eclipse
Sound. Another route which is often used leads from Kangertlung, Parry’s
Gifford River, to Angmang, and farther west to Tununirusirn. This route
has already been described by Parry, who attempted to reach the north
shore of Baffin Land by it (II, p. 449). Parry’s description was
confirmed in 1869 by Hall (II, p. 356). I am somewhat doubtful whether
Fury and Hecla Strait, which is often filled with rough ice, can be
passed regularly, and whether a route leading to Tununirusirn follows
the shore of the Gulf of Boothia, as stated by some of the natives of
Davis Strait. This uncertainty did not occur to me until after I had
read Parry’s description. Communication between Tununirn and
Tununirusirn is by way of the isthmus between Kangertlung and Navy Board
Inlet.
The journeys of the Aggomiut are not at all confined to Baffin Land. In
favorable winters they cross Lancaster Sound, passing the small island
Uglirn, and winter on the eastern half of Tudjan (North Devon). While
here they keep up some intercourse with the inhabitants of Umingman Nuna
(Ellesmere Land).
It is said that they cross the ice covered island on sledges. In four
days they reach the northern shore, whence a long, narrow peninsula,
Nedlung, stretches toward Ellesmere Land. Through the narrow passage
which separates Tudjan from Nedlung runs a very swift tide which keeps
open a water hole throughout the winter. All around this place the ice
wastes quickly in the spring and a large basin is formed which abounds
with seals. Only that part of the peninsula which lies nearest North
Devon is high and steep, presenting a bold face. Farther north it is
rather low.
Having reached Umingman Nuna, the Eskimo who gave me this information
affirm that they fell in with a small tribe who resided on this shore.
Here they lived for some time, as there was an abundance of seals during
the whole year. Farther northwest is a large fjord, Kangertluksiaq, off
which an island is found, Qeqertakadlinang by name. The Eskimo do not
visit the land on the other side of this fjord, as bears are said to be
very numerous and large there. Though these migrations to Jones Sound do
not occur very frequently, they have by no means been discontinued. For
instance, a family which was well known to me has visited Smith Sound,
and the father of some friends of a resident of Cumberland Sound
returned about fifteen years ago from a long stay on Tudjan and Nedlung.
_The Iglulirmiut._--The last group of natives belonging to Baffin Land
are those of Iglulik. Our knowledge of this tribe is due to Parry and
Hall. As soon as the sea begins to freeze up, the natives gather on
Iglulik, where they hunt the walrus throughout the winter. According to
the position of the floe edge, Iglulik, Pingitkalik, or Uglit Islands
are the favorite settlements. Later in the winter, when new ice is
frequently attached to the floe, part of the families move to the ice
northeast of Igluling, where seals are caught with the harpoon. Another
winter settlement seems to be near Amitoq. In April young seals are
hunted in the bays and fjords, particularly in Hooper Inlet. According
to Hall the western coast of Melville Peninsula is sometimes visited
during the winter for walrusing and bear hunting (II, p. 343). An
overland route leads to this district, crossing the long Grinnell Lake
and Brevoort River, thus named by Hall (II, p. 342). As soon as the warm
season approaches the natives go deer hunting on Melville Peninsula or
more frequently on Baffin Land. From the reports of Parry and Hall and
from my own inquiries, there can be no doubt that they visit the eastern
shore of Fox Basin.
_The Pilingmiut._--Two tribes were settled on the eastern coast of Fox
Basin, the Pilingmiut and the Sagdlirmiut, who had but slight
intercourse with the Iglulirmiut. I heard both mentioned at times when
traveling along Davis Strait. According to my information I should say
that Piling is about 74° west and 69° north. From Parry’s reports it
appears that the intercourse between these tribes and Iglulik was not
very active; for, although he had staid two years at Aivillik and
Iglulik, the Pilingmiut when visiting the latter tribe did not know
anything about this fact, which was one of the greatest importance to
all the natives (II, p. 430). Sometimes the Talirpingmiut of Cumberland
Sound meet the Pilingmiut, for both tribes go deer hunting northwest of
Nettilling. I heard of one such meeting between hunting parties in that
district.
_The Sagdlirmiut._--The information as to the Sagdlirmiut is yet more
scanty than that relating to the inhabitants of Piling. Parry learned
that Sagdlirn is about east-northeast of Iglulik (II, p. 549). The
description which I received on Davis Strait confirms this opinion, for
the direction was denoted as qaningnang, i.e., east-northeast; besides,
Sagdlirn was described as a long and narrow island.