Mar. 1S59. NEWS OF FRANKLIN'S SHIPS. 205 



two of the natives stripped off their outer coats of reindeer 

 skin, and bartered them for a knife each. 



Despite the gale which howled outside, we spent a com- 

 fortable night in our roomy hut. 



Next morning the entire village population arrived, 

 amounting to about forty-five souls, from aged people to 

 infants in arms, and bartering commenced very briskly. 

 First of all we purchased all the relics of the lost expedition, 

 consisting of six silver spoons and forks, a silver medal, the 

 property of Mr. A. M 'Donald, assistant surgeon, part of a 

 gold chain, several buttons, and knives made of the iron 

 and wood of the wreck, also bows and arrows made out of 

 materials obtained from the same source. Having secured 

 these, we purchased a few frozen salmon, some seal's 

 blubber and venison, but could not prevail upon them to 

 part with more than one of their fine dogs. One of their 

 sledges was made of two stout pieces of wood, which might 

 have been a boat's keel. 



All the old people recollected the visit of the ' Victory.' An 

 old man told me his name w T as " Ooblooria : " I recollected 

 that Sir James Ross had employed a man of that name as a 

 guide, and reminded him of it ; he was, in fact, the same 

 individual, and he enquired after Sir James by his Esquimaux 

 name of " Agglugga." 



I enquired after the man who was furnished with a wooden 

 leg by the carpenter of the ' Victory : ' no direct answer was 

 given, but his daughter was pointed out to me. Petersen 

 explained to me that they do not like alluding in any way to 

 the dead, and that, as my question was not answered, it was 

 certain the man was no longer amongst the living. 



None of these people had seen the whites : one man said 

 he had seen their bones upon the island where they died, 

 but some were buried. Petersen also understood him to say 

 that the boat was crushed by the ice. Almost all of them 

 had part of the plunder ; they say they will be here when we 



