290 



ARCTIC RESEARCH EXPEDITION. 



a wise man should, and accordingly determined to abandon the 

 attempt and try it by boat. I therefore ordered our return ; but, 

 as I wished to examine the islands of Oopungnewing and Nioun- 

 telik, I proposed to Ebierbing that we should stay three or four 

 days at Annawa's ; and, to prevent our being encumbered with 

 so much baggage as I had brought for an extended trip, told him 

 to make a transfer of it from our sledge to John Bull's, who would 

 take it back to the ship. 



While this transfer was being made, my eye accidentally caught 

 sight of a piece of brick, among sundry odds and ends of Innuit 

 articles brought from the upper village at the head of Field Bay. 

 While looking upon it, I called to mind the story I had heard 

 from old Ookijoxy Ninoo about relics of this kind seen on Nioun- 

 telik, and I at once asked Kusseeung and Arng-mer-che-ung what 

 it was. They replied, " Stone" — a stone that the old mother of 

 the latter had given him a long time ago. I then asked from 

 whence she got it, and both Innuits immediately pointed to the 

 island Niountelik, which was less than half a mile from where 

 we stood. 



Ebierbing took this bright-colored brick from my hand, looked 

 at it, and said, "That is the same as I have seen on that island," 

 pointing to Niountelik. He then added, " Many of my acquaint- 

 ances up the inlet (meaning Northumberland) have pieces of the 

 same kind that came from that island." 



My feelings upon seeing the piece of brick, and hearing what 

 was said about it, may be easily imagined. There, in my hand, 

 was undoubtedly a relic of that expedition which had visited the 

 place only eight} T -six years after the discovery of America by 

 Columbus, since which time it has remained unknown to the civ- 

 ilized world ! This relic, then, was more precious to me than the 

 gold which Frobisher sought there under the direct patronage of 

 Queen Elizabeth. Until now no proof had existed that Frobisher 

 and his expedition ever visited the particular bay or "straits" 

 bearing his name ; but, from all that I had gathered from the in- 

 formation given me by the natives, and from what I had now 

 seen, a strong conviction rested on my mind that it was so, and 

 doubt was at an end. 



After stopping at Twerpukjua nearly three hours, I bade adieu 

 to those of my Innuit friends who were going to Sampson's, and 

 proceeded toward Annawa's at Oopungnewing. Johnny Bull and 

 his party took their way to the ship, Ebierbing accompanying me. 



