FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN EXPEDITION 271 



The "Investigator," McClure's ship, had sailed in 1850 with 

 several others for the Bering Strait entrance to the Polar Sea. 

 Here they parted company to work over different areas, the "Inves- 

 tigator" sailing along the waters bathing the northern coast of the 

 continent. She was soon in front of the ice pack, which stretched 

 with an unbroken form from east to west, all that could be seen in 

 the distance being a great herd of walrus huddled together on the 

 ice like a flock of sheep. Open water was found, however, between 

 the ice and the land, and the ship was pushed into this lead, Mc- 

 Clure keeping well in towards the shore on the lookout for natives. 

 At Cape Bathurst, near the Mackenzie River, a region which 

 Franklin had explored in his land trip of many years before, a large 

 tribe was observed, and at once a boat party put off from the ship. 



As they approached the shore, thirty tents and nine winter- 

 houses were seen. Immediately the boats were run ashore a tremen- 

 dous stir was caused in the village, the men running to and fro and 

 then charging down a steep slope to where the boats were aground 

 on the beach. As they drew near it was seen that each man carried 

 a drawn knife in his hand, as well as bows and arrows, and their 

 warlike intentions were still more clearly shown when the fitted 

 arrows to the bows and began to aim at the white men. The inter- 

 preter Miertsching, clad in native costume, advanced from the ex- 

 plorers towards the angry Eskimo, holding his hands above his 

 head in the position which expresses peace amongst these primitive 

 people. 



When told that no harm would be done them they were per- 

 suaded to lay aside their bows and arrows, but would not relinquish 

 their knives until the whites had put down their rifles. Amity was 

 reached when one of the rifles was given to the chief to carry, the 

 Eskimos now offering their knives to the safe keeping of the visitors. 

 It was a hunting village that had been reached, containing more 

 than three hundred men, women, and children. They told the 

 whites that the ice beyond the open passage was the realm of the 



