_The natives of Ellesmere Land._--Last of all I have to mention the
natives of Ellesmere Land and those of North Greenland. Although the
latter are not generally considered as belonging to the central tribes,
I find that their habits and their implements resemble those of the
Central Eskimo rather than those of the Greenlanders, and therefore a
brief mention of them will not be inappropriate. The inhabitants of
Umingman Nuna (Ellesmere Land) probably live on the southern shore, near
the western part of Jones Sound, and, according to Bessel’s and my own
inquiries, they travel all around this island, passing by Hayes Sound.
_The North Greenlanders._--The North Greenlanders live in the sounds of
the peninsula between Melville Bay and Kane Basin, hunting seals on the
smooth floes of the bays and pursuing walrus at the floe edges. They
make large deposits of the blubber and meat obtained in the fall, on
which they live during the winter. They also pursue seals in winter with
the harpoon. In summer they hunt reindeer on the mountains adjoining the
inland ice.
INFLUENCE OF GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS UPON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE
SETTLEMENTS.
In considering the distribution of the tribes it is evident that they
are settled wherever extensive floes afford a good sealing ground during
the winter. The Sikosuilarmiut live on the large bay east of King Cape,
which is sheltered by numerous islands. The Akuliarmiut are settled near
Lesseps and North Bays. I am unable to say whether there is a floe near
the winter settlement of the Qaumauangmiut, as there are no reports upon
the subject. Probably ice is formed in the sound, which is protected by
the Middle Savage Islands, and besides it may be that the natives move
to North Bay. The important tribe of Nugumiut lives on Frobisher Bay and
the adjoining Grinnell and Field Bays. On the largest floe of this part
of the country, in Cumberland Sound, including Lake Nettilling, the
largest tribe is settled: the Oqomiut. On Davis Strait ice floes are
formed between Cape Mickleham and Cape Mercy, in Exeter Sound, and
between Okan and Bylot Island. The tribes are distributed accordingly:
the Saumingmiut of Ukiadliving, the inhabitants of Qarmaqdjuin with
their winter settlement in Exeter Sound, and the Padlimiut and the
Akudnirmiut farther north. The immense land floe of Davis Strait is not
so valuable a hunting ground for the Eskimo as Cumberland Sound, the ice
being very rough a few miles from the coast and at some places even
close inshore. When the sea begins to freeze in the fall the newly
formed ice is broken up by severe gales and by the currents and is piled
up into high hummocks before it consolidates. The sealing on rough ice
during the winter is very difficult and unsuccessful, as it is hard to
find the breathing holes and the traveling is very laborious. It is only
in the northern parts of Home Bay and in the large fjords that smooth
ice is formed. The settlements of the natives are manifestly distributed
in accordance with these facts. In every place where smooth ice is
formed we find that natives either are settled or have been settled.
Aqbirtijung, River Clyde, Ijellirtung, Home Bay, Brodie Bay, Merchant
Bay, and Padli are the only places along the shore of Davis Strait where
smooth ice occurs. On the long shores between them, which are
unsheltered from winds and currents, the ice is always very hummocky,
and, therefore, the natives do not settle upon them in the winter. In
the far north, extensive floes of smooth ice are formed in Eclipse Sound
and Admiralty Inlet.
Concerning the country farther west the reports are rather scanty. The
southwest shore of Baffin Land and the eastern entrance of Fury and
Hecla Strait are always frozen over and afford a good hunting ground.
On the mainland, the large floes of Repulse Bay and Wager River,
Chesterfield Inlet and the bights all around it, Pelly Bay and the
narrow bays adjoining Boothia Peninsula, and the mouth of Back River are
important places for the distribution of the Eskimo.
There are only a few districts where the proximity of open water favors
walrus hunting during the winter, and all of these have neighboring
floes on which seals may be hunted with the harpoon. These places are
Sikosuilaq, Akuliaq, Frobisher Bay, Iglulik, the west shore of Hudson
Bay, and Smith Sound. As to the remainder the Eskimo live altogether
independent of the open water during the winter.
Generally speaking, two conditions are required for winter settlements,
viz, the existence of an extensive floe and smooth ice.
The different mode of hunting in the spring causes a different
distribution of the settlements. During this season those regions which
had been deserted during the winter are most visited by the hunters. On
light dog sledges they travel over the rough ice and along the shores of
the fjords and islands. The natives who lived in large settlements
during the winter are spread over the whole country, in order that every
one may have a better chance of traveling over his own hunting ground.
In a few places the young sealing induces the Eskimo to leave the winter
settlements; in other places the kayaks are prepared for visiting the
floe edge, and bears and the returning birds are hunted.
Though the greater variety of food which is to be obtained and the
difference in the methods of hunting in the spring require the
dispersion over a wide area of the families which had kept together
during the winter, the selection of places for the new settlements
remains wholly dependent upon the state of the ice.
After the ice breaks up, the distribution of the deer regulates the
location of the summer settlements. While during the winter the state of
the ice is of decisive importance, the orography of the land comes now
into consideration.
Wherever deep valleys give access to an extensive area, wherever
practicable roads enable the natives to ascend the plateaus, summer
settlements are established. The heads of the fjords are favorite
places, as they abound with salmon. The adjoining valleys and the
peninsulas which they form give the best chances for a successful deer
hunt. These facts are most apparent on the coast of the steep highland
of Nugumiut, over which numerous herds of deer roam.
A great influence is also exerted by the extensive plains of the western
part of Baffin Land, which abound in deer. We observe that a number of
tribes visit these districts, though their winter stations are at a
great distance. The Akuliarmiut of Hudson Strait and the Nugumiut travel
to Lake Amaqdjuaq, the Oqomiut stay on Lake Nettilling, and the
Akudnirmiut visit Majoraridjen. In the same way all the tribes of Hudson
Bay visit the land farther west, which is frequented by herds of the
musk ox, and they go even as far as Back River. This important fact
shows the attraction which is exerted by a rich country on all the
tribes of the neighboring districts.