ANOTHER COAL DEPOSITE. 



433 



importance — that the Esquimaux traditionary history, extending 

 back for centuries, is wonderfully accurate. 



Imbedded in the rocks I also found some heavy black sub- 

 stances, larger and more numerous than any I had before seen. 

 These I concluded might be the " stone like to sea-coal" described 

 by Frobisher in the account of his voyages. I secured some spec- 

 imens, which I brought home with me. 



But I was not content with the hasty examination thus made. 

 After returning to the boat and lunching on raw seal, I renewed 

 my search, in company with Koojesse and Kooperneung. Soon, 

 by digging under the snow, coal was found in considerable quan- 

 tities, and also a little pile of flint-stones similar to those discov- 

 ered in the coal at Niountelik, and in the cement of the stone- 

 house ruins at Kodlunarn. 



My feelings were so buoyant and excited at this discovery, and 

 the proof it furnished to my mind that Frobisher had been there, 

 that I could hardly contain myself. But my excitement was con- 

 siderably increased when Miner, from the top of the highest part 

 of the tongue of land, raised a shout and said he had found more. 

 We rushed toward him, and lo ! more and more was indeed found. 

 There was a large space clear of snow, and covered with coal to 

 the amount, I thought, of some five tons. I was perfectly as- 

 tounded. But I could not lose time. I therefore at once com- 

 menced an inspection of the heap, and soon found a large chip im- 

 bedded in the coal. This chip, my companion declared, was nev- 

 er the work of an Innuit knife. It had the appearance of having 

 been chopped out of a large piece of oak timber with an axe. I 

 dug down fifteen inches into the coal before coming to any earth. 

 The Innuits willingly assisted me, and, as at Niountelik and Kod- 

 lunarn, every thing they found was apparently passed to me. I 

 discovered, however, -that they pocketed some of the best speci- 

 mens of the flint-stones, and I had eventually to resort to diplo- 

 macy in order to recover them. 



Leaving the main pile, I dug in other places through the snow, 

 and found coal extending over a wide area. There could be no 

 doubt that a large deposit was made here, and I could arrive at 

 no other conclusion — from the evidences of the age of the coal, in 

 the mosses and other signs upon it — than that this was done by 

 Frobisher. I filled a keg with specimens of the coal, the moss, 

 and the lichens, to bring home, and just as I then packed it, so it 



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