466 



THE POLAR WORLD. 



was found that the pack had broken np. The way home was apparently open ; 

 and all hands were summoned on board. The vessel spread her canvas and 

 sailed off, the Innuits surrounding her in their canoes, and shouting farewell. 



Tookoolito and Ebierbing resolved to accompany Hall to the States, taking 

 with them Tukeliketa (" Butterfly "), their infant, a year old. The child died a 

 few months after their arrival in the States, and lies buried in the graveyard at 

 Groton, Connecticut. " I never saw," says Hall, " a more animated, sweet-tem- 

 pered, and engaging child." For days the mother was delirious; then she 

 longed to die, that she might be with her lost Butterfly. Upon his grave were 

 laid, according to the custom of his people, all his childish playthings. They 

 were sacred to the dead. The mother went to the grave one day, and found 

 that one article, a gayly-painted Uttle tin pail, had been taken away. She was 

 inconsolable. " Poor little Butterfly," she said, " how he will miss his beauti- 

 ful pail !" 



The homeward voyage was speedy and prosperous. On the 13th of Septem- 

 ber the " George Henry " dropped anchor at New London, whence she had 

 sailed two years and three and a half months before. 



The net results of Hall's expedition were these : Many new discoveries were 

 made in Arctic geography ; much information was gathered in relation to the 

 inhabitants ; and experience acquired of immense value to all future Arctic ex- 

 plorers. Mr. Hall also made a very interesting discovery in regard to the fate 

 of the expedition of Martin Frobisher, undertaken almost three centuries ago. 

 He found a tradition among the natives that many years ago white men in ships 

 had visited a place still called " White Man's Island." Hall compared these tra- 

 ditions with the accounts extant in books respecting this voyage, and was struck 

 with their remarkable coincidence. He visited the place designated as the 

 white man's encampment, and found many things which had evidently been left 

 by Europeans. Among these was a heap of coal amounting to several tons, a 

 large fragment of iron, and some bricks. Every thing was covered over with 

 moss whose thick growth showed that they must have remained there undis- 

 turbed for ages. 



The bearing of this upon the possibility of revealing the whole mystery of 

 the fate of Franklin is evident. If the Innuits have preserved tolerably accu- 

 rate traditions of what took place three centuries ago, it is not to be doubted 

 that they still have information of what took place within a single generation. 

 It is now past hoping that any members of Franklin's expedition are yet living ; 

 but there must be Innuits who can tell how and where they died. 



To further this investigation Hall resolved upon a second expedition. He 

 spent nearly two years in preparing his book for publication, and in making prep- 

 arations for this enterprise. Abundant facilities were now placed at his dis- 

 posal; and on the 30th of July, 1864, he again set sail. In the preface to his 

 book, written on board the vessel, he says : 



" I am persuaded that among the Innuits may be sought, by one competent, 

 with every chance of complete success, the sad history of Sir John Franklin's 

 men. To make myself competent for this more interesting and important re- 

 search, I patiently acquired the language and familiarized myself with the habits 



