462 THROUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



officers and crews. It was also reported by Eskimos, 

 through the American whalers operating in Hudson Bay, 

 that one officer (Captain Eitzjames probably) and a com- 

 panion were living as late as 1864, and that there were books 

 and records in possession of the north-western tribes of 

 Eskimos. 



" These reports found little credence in England, but it 

 was otherwise in the United States; and among other be- 

 lievers was a fine army officer, the late Lieutenant Schwatka, 

 who, with Mr. W. H. Gilder as second in command, and two 

 American companions, resolved on the difficult and even 

 dangerous enterprise of testing their accuracy. In August, 

 1878, a Yankee whaler deposited themselves and their stores, 

 provisions and equipments at a point named ' Camp Daly,' 

 in latitude 63° 40' north, and not far from Chesterfield Inlet, 

 Hudson Bay. They passed the winter there, and on the 1st 

 of April, 1879, they started out on their long and arduous 

 journey to King William Island, accompanied by thirteen 

 Eskimos, including women and children, with several kayaks 

 or canoes and three heavily-laden sledges, drawn by forty-two 

 native dogs, carrying about a month's provisions for the 

 party, consisting principally of bread and meat landed from 

 the whaler, and their store of firearms and ammunition." 



It would occupy too much space to give even an abridged 

 narrative of the work of these Americans on this wonderful 

 journey. Suffice it to say that, with the aid of their Eskimo 

 friends, they made a thorough and exhaustive search of King 

 William Island, and of the country at the estuary of the 

 Great Fish River, Montreal Island, and of the other relative 

 points reported upon by Dr. Eae, Captain McClintock, and 

 by the eastern Eskimos to themselves and Captain Hall. They 

 met many Eskimos and discovered several probably despoiled 

 graves, many human bones and other relics of the imf ortunate 

 expedition; but no records whatever, except one placed by 

 McClintock in a cairn on " King William," on 3rd June, 

 1859. Five months were spent on the island. 



