448 THE FRANKLIN SEARCH— IS^S-al. 



them all busy again putting things to rights — ^the carpenter repairing the 

 ' Supply ' — till at eight p.m. we were all ready for another move, with both 

 wind and sea considerably abated. While the men were employed, I walked 

 along the beach to the northward, and, on turning a point, saw, about three 

 miles off, a large native village. As I did not wish to have the inhabitants 

 among us while all our things were spread out, I turned back immediately. 

 . . . The Eskimos on the point soon got sight of us, and assembled, 

 making the usual friendly signals. 



" This point, from the latitude I got yesterday, I considered as Point 

 Berens, the most eastern horn of Harrison's Bay, where I intended burying 

 pemmican — ^which would not only be a relief to our boats, but, as the point 

 forms a very conspicuous object, would most likely be visited by any of those 

 we are in search of, if they should get down on the coast. We therefore 

 landed among a noisy group, and were received, as usual, with every demon- 

 stration of friendship. A brisk trade in wild geese, moccasins, and fish, was 

 carried on, after which I made them the usual present, by which means they 

 were kept away from the party who were making the cache. . . . The mark, 

 of course, we could not hide : it was a pole fifteen feet in length, with a double 

 cross on the top, and a board underneath, with the following notice carved on it : 

 ' " Plover's " boats arrived here on the 11th of August 1849 ; ten feet N.E., 

 search.' At that distance were deposited three cases of pemmican, with the 

 following notice in a preserved-meat tin: 'The "Plover's" boats arrived here 

 on the 11th of August 1849, on their way to the Mackenzie, with relief 

 for, and in search of, Sir J. Franklin and party, with orders to return, 

 after visiting Point Separation, so as to reach the ship by the 15th of Sep- 

 tember. If not able to do so, will go on to the Hudson's Bay posts on the 

 Peel River, or to Fort Good Hope, thence on to York Factory, and report pro- 

 ceedings as soon as possible to the Admiralty. The boats left the ship on 

 the night of the 25th of July ; Point Barrow, night of the 2d of August ; 

 and this the same day (11th August). The " Herald " is also in the Arctic 

 seas ; brought provision up to the " Plover," and will see her in her winter 

 quarters before she returns south.' On preparing to leave the Eskimos we 

 missed the shovel, and, on looking round, saw one of the natives standing 

 close to the direction post, away from the others, and endeavouring to con- 

 ceal something. I walked up to the fellow and gently tried to move him, as 

 I was certain the missing article was underneath. The thief resisted, but Mr 

 Hooper passing his hand into the sand, pulled out the shovel, greatly to the 

 Eskimo's mortification. On getting into the boats, the natives seemed very 

 much inclined to make a rush on us, and the same man made another attempt 

 to accomplish his desire, by holding on to the boat with one hand and seizing 

 the shovel with the other. He was at last forcibly shaken off by one of the 

 marines. 



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