280 ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



journal at the time, and, consequently, much of it will be found 

 to have been the result of some slight mistake in what I then un- 

 derstood; but, coupled with the previous statements of Koojesse, 

 and the information which I afterward obtained, it will be seen 

 that the main facts about Frobisher's Expedition are well sup- 

 ported by evidence. 



The old lady farther informed me that frequently, in her life- 

 time, she had seen wood, chips, coal, and bricks, and large pieces 

 of very heavy stone, on the island of Niountelik. 



This again puzzled me. What could " very heavy stone" 

 mean ? I asked her " what kind of stone it was,' 7 and to this she 

 replied, " It was black, and very heavy. No Innuits had ever 

 seen such kind of stones before." 



This at once led me to conclude that the heavy stones were 

 iron; and still more so when Tookoolito observed, "I think, from 

 what the old lady says, these stones were very heavy, a small one 

 being as much as an Innuit could lift. I think, perhaps," added 

 she, " they were iron." " And so do I. By-and-by, I will see to 

 it," was my reply. 



The information thus obtained seemed so clearly to bear upon 

 Frobisher's Expedition that I determined, as soon as I could, to 

 visit Niountelik, and ascertain all about the matter. I thought 

 to myself, if such facts concerning an expedition which had been 

 made nearly three hundred years ago can be preserved by the na- 

 tives, and evidence of those facts obtained, what may not be glean- 

 ed of Sir John Franklin's Expedition of only sixteen years ago f 

 The singular fate of La Perouse and his expedition was unknown 

 to the civilized world for thirty-eight years, and then brought to 

 light only by the exertions of one individual, Captain Dillon, an 

 English master of a merchant ship ! Here, too, we have the first 

 intimation of the fate of Frobisher's five men — after being shroud- 

 ed in mystery for 285 years — all but determined by personal in- 

 quiry among the natives ! Why not, then, be able to ascertain 

 from the same natives — that is, of the same Innuit race — -all those 

 particulars so interesting, and many of them so important to sci- 

 ence, concerning the Lost Polar Expedition? I was now con- 

 vinced, more than I had ever been, that the whole mystery of 

 their fate could have been, and may yet be easily determined with 

 even the smallest well-directed aid. At all events, I felt that, 

 while life and health should be spared me, I would devote my- 

 self to this undertaking. 



