upon the Aleutian Islands, the dialects spoken over this vast
area are very similar, the unity of dialect thus observable being in
marked contrast to the tendency to change exhibited in other linguistic
families of North America.

How far north the east coast of Greenland is inhabited by Eskimo is
not at present known. In 1823 Capt. Clavering met with two families of
Eskimo north of 74 deg. 30'. Recent explorations (1884-'85) by Capt. Holm,
of the Danish Navy, along the southeast coast reveal the presence of
Eskimo between 65 deg. and 66 deg. north latitude. These Eskimo profess
entire ignorance of any inhabitants north of themselves, which may be
taken as proof that if there are fiords farther up the coast which are
inhabited there has been no intercommunication in recent times at least
between these tribes and those to the south. It seems probable that more
or less isolated colonies of Eskimo do actually exist along the east
coast of Greenland far to the north.

Along the west coast of Greenland, Eskimo occupancy extends to
about 74 deg.. This division is separated by a considerable interval of
uninhabited coast from the Etah Eskimo who occupy the coast from Smith
Sound to Cape York, their most northerly village being in 78 deg. 18'.
For our knowledge of these interesting people we are chiefly indebted to
Ross and Bessels.

In Grinnell Land, Gen. Greely found indications of permanent Eskimo
habitations near Fort Conger, lat. 81 deg. 44'.

On the coast of Labrador the Eskimo reach as far south as Hamilton
Inlet, about 55 deg. 30'. Not long since they extended to the Straits of
Belle Isle, 50 deg. 30'.

On the east coast of Hudson Bay the Eskimo reach at present nearly to
James Bay. According to Dobbs[36] in 1744 they extended as far south as
east Maine River, or about 52 deg.. The name Notaway (Eskimo) River at
the southern end of the bay indicates a former Eskimo extension to that
point.

[Footnote 36: Dobbs (Arthur). An account of the Countries adjoining
to Hudson's Bay. London, 1744.]

According to Boas and Bessels the most northern Eskimo of the middle
group north of Hudson Bay reside on the southern extremity of Ellesmere
Land around Jones Sound. Evidences of former occupation of Prince
Patrick, Melville, and other of the northern Arctic islands are not
lacking, but for some unknown cause, probably a failure of food supply,
the Eskimo have migrated thence and the islands are no longer inhabited.