XVUl 



Preliminary Chapter. 



elusions formed by Aiulersoii, the nudson Bayofiicer, previous to that 

 j)(_'iiod. 



1 ;im now snpi)osiiij»- that two sets of Esquimaux gave contradic- 

 tory r\ ideuce on this point, but I perceive it was the same man whose 

 name was *riven liy ^V Hall, who gave the contradictory information 

 to tin- two parties. — Is this the case, or has Df Eae misunderstood him 

 or Hall I 



Who was his authority for saying that the records are buried in a 

 vault (that is, I suppose, a hole dug for the purpose) near Point Vic- 

 tory .' Could the Esquimaux point out the exact spot, and, if so, can 

 we l>elieve they have not opened or rifled it? Was this question put 

 to them f — and is there reason to suppose that these documents may 

 exist in jKtrt in their possession ? — Most people are of opinion that they 

 t(tiik tlii'ir Journals with them on their march, and that even at the last 

 extremity, they did not throw them away, but tried to hide them ; and 

 this may have taken i)lace all along the march. It seems strange, if they 

 were buried near Pt. Victory, that the Record found there and brought 

 home by McClintock, did not notice this; — especially as it was well un- 

 derstood, I believe, among the officers, although not openly talked about 

 ^lest the information should be betrayed to the natives) that these doc- 

 uments were to be buried so many yards magnetic north of the cairns 

 (KM.tt il. — Again it is supposed, and I believe McClintock is of that 

 opinion, that these vaults may be conjectural things, by which the 

 Es(juiiiianx explained some leveled or paved spot which had been the 

 sit«- (»f a magnetic Observatory or shooting station. Have the Esqui- 

 maux ever been asked if they found tin cylinders, or any other con- 

 trivanee for holdin;; nothing but a sheet of paper, under the cairns, and 

 what tln-y «li<l with them, and whether they could iwocure any, if hand- 

 >umely r«'warde(l ? If another search were instituted, it should be held 

 out t«» tiiem that the i>roduction of paper or books woidd be more hand- 

 ><iiiiel\ lewardcil than anything else. 



I)<Ks not M' Hall lielieve that, if the natives had found what he 

 calls "tlie vault," they would have removed everything out of it; would 

 he liave given np the seareli liad he felt convinced that anvthing was to 



