578 DANGER FROM THE NATIVES. 



Although they are as untamable as eagles by nature, yet 

 by their aid alone I was enabled to reach points otherwise 

 inaccessible, and when there to gain much important in- 

 formation relative to the fate of Sir John Franklin's ex- 

 pedition. I tried hard to accomplish far more than I did, 

 but not one of the company would, on any account what- 

 ever, consent to remain with me in that country and make 

 a summer search over that island, which, from informa- 

 tion I had gained of the natives, I had reason to suppose 

 would be rewarded by the discovery of the whole of the 

 manuscript records that had accumulated in that great ex- 

 pedition, and been deposited in a vault a little way inland 

 or eastward of Cape Victory. Knowing, as I now do, the 

 character of the Esquimaux in that part of the country in 

 which King William's Laud is situated, I cannot wonder 

 at nor blame the Repulse Bay natives for their refusal 

 to remain there, as I desired. It is quite probable that 

 had we remained, as I wished, no one of us would ever 

 have got out of the country alive. How could we expect, 

 if we had got into straitened circumstances, that we should 

 have received better treatment from the Esquimaux of 

 that country than the one hundred and five souls who were 

 under the command of the heroic Crozier, some time after 

 the landing on King William's Land ? Could I and my 

 party, with reasonable safety, have remained to make a 

 summer search on King William's Land, it is not only 

 probable that we should have recovered the logs and 

 journals of Sir John Franklin's expedition, but have 

 gathered up and entombed the remains of nearly one hun- 

 dred of his companions, for they lie about the places where 

 the three boats have been found, and at the large camp- 

 ing-place at the head of Terror Bay and the three other 

 places that I have already mentioned. In the cove, west 

 side of Point Richardson, however, Nature herself has 

 opened her bosom and given sepulture to the remains of 

 the iinniortal heroes that have died there. Wherever the 



