# Life with the Esquimaux/Volume 2/Chapter 9

CHAPTER IX.
Land on an Island—Innuit Insolence—Leave Kingaite Coast for the North Side of the Bay of Frobisher—Extraordinary Scenes—Singular Customs—Drinking Deer's Blood—More Ankooting—Mystical Songs—"Fool's Gold"—Parting with old Too-loo-ka-ah—Arrival at Niountelik—Proceed to Kodlunarn, or "White Man's" Island—Important Discoveries—Ship's Trench—Ruins of Stone Houses—Coal and Tile—Return to Niountelik and Encamp—Cruise in "Countess of Warwick Sound"—Arrive at Tikkoon—Discovery of a heavy Piece of Iron—Passage across the Sound—Proceed up Victoria Bay—Precipitous Mountains—Ekkelezhun—A fine and secure Harbour—Discovery of several Tons of Coal and Flint-stones—Return to Niountelik.
That the reader may be advancing with me as I proceed with my narrative, and, at the same time, get an idea of some of the trials referred to near the close of the preceding chapter, I will here introduce the following extracts directly from my "rough-and-ready" note-book, written at the moment and upon the spur of the occasion:—
"August 15th, 1861.—Start from eighteenth encampment at 6.15 a.m. wind light from the west, and cloudy. Both boats and two kias under way. 'Miner' has just shot a nowyer on the wing from his kia. First pop, down it comes. We are on the rocks first thing; 'bad beginning, good ending.' Under oars; the fifth oar cannot be used on account of the overloaded boat. Another Job's comforter on my shoulder, the sinister. Geese flying to the southward. Little girl Shoo-kok (whalebone) on board our boat. 8.45 a.m. land on a small island to bale the old leaky boat. This moment I ask Koojesse which way now, the many islands ahead making it doubtful which is the better course. He points across the bay to the other or north side. I suspected this was the way he was directing the boat. He acts the devil with me. My work on this, the Kingaite side, is ended. I said to him I cannot do the work I wanted to....
​"I must submit, hard as it is. Why did not the fellow tell me this morning what he was intending to do? A few of the Innuits concert and act without saying one word to me. I will try and settle accounts with them when I get to the ship, especially with Koojesse. This I write in my note-book as I stand on this rocky, tide-washed island, in the midst of a snow-storm, everything around closed from my view. Now the thickness lifts a little, I proceed to triangulate. Start 8.20 a.m. Really I never took such insolence from any white man, nor will I while I have a right arm to defend my honour, as I took from Koojesse when he told me a few moments ago that I could stop and go along down Kingaite side.... He knows that I am in his and his Innuit friends' power, and he uses it.... But I am silent in words; a thundering, however, is going on within. Its mutterings will be kept till I get to the ship, if I ever do. I must say that I believe my life is in danger; but God is with me here and everywhere. If I die at the hands of this treacherous people, I die in faith that I am in the performance of my duty. God deliver me from such scenes as I have witnessed among the men Innuits I have with me. Consultations, savage looks, are now and then to be seen....
"The sooner I am back the better. There may be a time when I can again enter this bay to do the work for which I engaged my present company, but it will have to be with a company of civilized men.
"Nine a.m. now crossing toward a long, high island that trends in the same direction as Ki-ki-tuk-ju-a (Frobisher's Farthest). The head of Frobisher Bay not seen now, the sea or water of the bay to the north-west being the horizon. A remarkable sand or fossil mountain island, by Kingaite side, two miles off at our right, bearing W.N.W. by compass; I cannot determine its true character with 'spy.' A line of islands now seen that runs across Frobisher Bay from Frobisher's Farthest to Kingaite side. The trend I will determine soon, and make a record of it.
"Snow-squall continued but four minutes. Very cloudy. ​Sun shining occasionally on the mountains each side of Frobisher Bay.... Stop at meridian on an island after passing through a channel, the island of the group running from Frobisher's Farthest to Kingaite, and here ascended a high hill to triangulate.
"... As we came up the channel between the islands that lie across the Bay of Frobisher, found the tide (which was ebbing) to run very swiftly. Made no headway for full half an hour, though under sail and oars. Through this channel the ebbing tide was running toward the head of Frobisher Bay—a curious feature, but accounted for by the position of the islands each side the channel."
After spending half an hour on the island, we directed our course for the north side of the bay, which we made in one hour; thence we coasted along toward Rae's Point, where we arrived at 3.15 p.m. and made our nineteenth encampment at the place of our ninth.
During the evening the Innuits fired many salutes, and there was clearly some demonstration making, though I could not tell whether it was to invite the good spirits or to repel the bad, of whose presence thereabouts I suppose the angeko had told them.
It would seem from the shouts of men, women, and children, and the reports of the guns, as if the 4th of July had come again. Jack's wife kept up a kind of shouting and howling till past midnight. After she had continued it for over two hours, with a voice that made the mountains about ring, Jack joined her, he being an angeko. At midnight there was a round of guns. Charley was in the same tupic as myself, having been asleep until the firing aroused him. He sprang up, and was but a moment in getting ready to join his people. Soon Jack, with his howling wife, came down from the hill where they were, and marched around, keeping up the same hideous noises—so loud and broken, that only throats of brass, and cracked ones too, could equal them. It was a miserable, sleepless night for me—in Bedlam, and racked with pains.
​A remarkable feature of the mountains of Kingaite is that they are covered with snow, while those on the opposite side of the bay, near the coast, are wholly destitute of it. On arriving at the latter from Kingaite I at once felt the great difference of temperature, it being much warmer.
I may here mention, as another illustration of the peculiar customs of the Innuits, that when they kill a reindeer, after skinning it, they proceed to cut off bits of different parts of the animal, and bury them under a sod, moss, stone, or whatever happens to be at the exact spot where the deer was shot. On two occasions I noticed this. Once they cut off a piece of the paunch, then a bit of the nose, next a portion of the meat, skin, and fat, burying these portions together, as just described. I asked one of them if such a custom was always practised by the Innuits when they killed tuktoo, and the answer, given in a very serious tone, was that it had always been so.
On the previous day, when Charley killed the deer at our eighteenth encampment, I noticed that, on its being skinned, there was a greenish appearance about the legs and lower parts of the body. This made me remark to Koojesse that I thought the tuktoo must have been sick. He said "no;" but that the peculiar look was from the deer's having been swimming much of late in the cold water of the bay, during his passage from point to point.
The following day, September 16th, we resumed our voyage, but could not get far, owing to severe stormy weather, which compelled us to make our twentieth encampment on Mary's Island, on the west side, and at the entrance of the inlet which I crossed on the morning of August 19th (vide page 99, vol. ii.). Here we were detained two days, and I was now so enfeebled by sickness that it was difficult for me even to write. The Innuit women, particularly Tweroong, were very attentive to me, but the men seemed to consider my sufferings as of little importance. Their demoniac yells, during a ​continuation of the same kind of exorcisms already described, were truly frightful, and to one sick as I was all but maddening.
Fortunately, the next morning, September 18th, we were again under way on the homeward trip. A fair wind sent us rapidly along, and we passed our late encampments, as also many other places familiar to me from our visits when coming up. At one place—west side Waddell Bay—Koojesse and the other Innuits landed to go in chase of some deer seen in the distance. We slowly followed in the boat, and came to a cove in the coast, where we saw them with a prize in hand. This deer—which made up the number thirty-nine now killed by my three hunters—was a very fine one, and in a short time we were all feasting on portions of its meat. When this deer was opened, old Toolookaah, with his broad hand, scooped up the warm blood and drank it, to the quantity of nearly two quarts. I joined in the eating, and partook of some toodnoo and marrow, the latter blood-warm, from the mashed bones of the tuktoo's legs. The most delicious part of the deer is the toodnoo or fat which is on the rump, and it is this part the Innuits first seek. After our feast, we packed up the remains and again started, arriving about dark at the place of our twenty-first encampment, on the south side of Tongue Cape—the same cape where we had our seventh.
The following day, September 19th, we made good progress downward, with nothing particular to note except the following incident:—
Jack's wife, who was on board pulling at an oar, was suddenly taken with what I at first supposed to be a fit. She broke out into the wild singing which I have already spoken of as pertaining to the practice of ankooting. The scene at that moment in the boat was a strange one; Jack was steering, Annuarping sat close wedged by my side, Ninguarping was between Suzhi and the angekotress, holding the little dog Neitch-uk, two women were pulling at the oars, Koodloo sat upon a huge pile of skins at the bow, and the little boy reclined where best he could. They all started into immediate ​action the moment Jack's wife began her mystical song. Asshe sent forth her unmelodious voice—her lips sounding like so many fire-crackers on a 4th of July festival at home—one and then another of the Innuits took up a responsive chorus to her incantation. As she sang in this wild and singular strain, her arms worked stronger at the oar, and she seemed as if suddenly possessed of a demoniac strength. There was a startling vehemence about her; and when the others joined in chorus, it was as though unearthly visitants had taken possession of them all. All night, when we again encamped, the strange ceremonies were continued. Jack took up the preaching—if it can be so termed—while the women sang, and the men loudly responded to their angeko. Thus it continued till a late hour, and, with intermissions, through the two following days. They seemed to regard it as a duty, somewhat as we hold sacred certain observances on set occasions.
September 20th and 21st were but a repetition of preceding days, presenting difficulties in getting the male Innuits to work as I wished, forcing me to submit in almost everything. Perhaps, had I been in robust health, I could have managed them better, but I was too sick and feeble to contend. Once, when Koojesse acted in direct opposition to my desires, I turned upon him, and in sharp tones insisted on his doing as I wished about the boat. I spoke firmly, and with a show of determination. It had some good effect. He steered in the direction I wanted to go, and was as friendly afterward as though no hard words had passed between us. All this time the other Innuits continued at the oars, apparently as indifferent as though nothing was occurring; but I must confess that I myself did not feel quite easy in my mind as to the possible consequences.
On the 20th we had a few minutes of excitement, which occurred thus: Miner's party had made a landing before my boat could get up, and I shortly after saw Tweroong sitting upon the tide-washed rocks in such a position that I thought she must be searching for some lost article. By the time we effected our landing, every Innuit of the other party was ​gathered round her in great commotion, some of them trying to break off pieces of the rocks about. I asked Koojesse what all that hubbub meant. He said Tweroong had found gold! This word started me at once. I threw my cloak from my shoulders and leaped over the bow, landing on a sand-beach, knee-deep in sea-water. I was followed by my whole crew, for I had communicated the yellow fever to them, and, bounding from rock to rock, we arrived at the desired spot. A huge, heavy "yellow boy" was soon in my hand. Gold, gold, indeed, was now in the list of my discoveries! Ought I not to be satisfied, after all my trials and perplexities? But, on the first touch of my knife, I found that I had only fool's gold, and I brought away but small specimens of this precious metal.
A short distance from Gold Cove we made our twenty-third encampment, on the south side of Jones's Cape, not far from the fourth encampment. At this place old Toolookaah and his wife left our party. He intended to remain at that spot until his son, who was with Sampson up an inlet near by, should return. I made him a present of matches and tobacco, and gave his wife two papers of needles. In parting with him I said, "Toolookaah, I may not see you again. Soon I shall go to my own county—America; but I hope by-and-by to meet you in Kood-le-par-me-ung (heaven)." A tear started in his eye and trickled down his iron face as we pressed hands and said the final word, "Ter-bou-e-tue!" (farewell.)
Our twenty-fourth encampment was made on an island called Oo-mer-nung, at the entrance of Wiswell's Inlet, and on the following day, at 10 a.m. we were again under way for Niountelik, then only a few miles off.
After landing upon Niountelik, and taking an observation of the sun at the spot where I first discovered the coal, we proceeded toward an island, on which, according to Innuit tradition, the kodlunas built a small ship amasuadlo (a great many) years ago. The heavens were cloudless, there was a fine breeze from the northwest, and the boat bounded along ​rapidly toward the island. Around us was high land, white with its winter dress, and beneath, an immense forest of sea vegetation, over which we sailed. We soon reached the shore, and I immediately landed to examine the place as well as the short time at my disposal would permit.
I soon came across an excavation, which was probably the commencement of a mine dug by Frobisher, though the Innuits, judging only from what they saw, called it a reservoir for fresh water, a quantity of which collected in it at certain seasons. This excavation was at some distance from the ruins of the stone houses, and was eighty-eight feet long and six feet deep.
On the shore of the north side of the island I found also an
ONE OF FROBISHER'S GOLD MINES, CALLED BY THE NATIVES SHIP'S TRENCH.
excavation which I called a ship's trench, for the Innuits said that was where a ship had been built by the white men. It had been dug out of stone, which was of such a nature as to yield to the persevering use of pickaxe, sledge-hammer, and the crow-bar. The bottom of the trench, which was one hundred and ten feet in length, was an inclined plane, running from the surface of the ground to a depth of twenty-five feet at the water's edge.
On the top of the island I found the ruins of a house, which had been built of stone, cemented together with lime and sand. ​The foundation still remained, and was of "lyme and stone." It was about twelve feet in diameter, and every portion of it was covered with aged moss. From appearances, some of the stones had been turned over, as if done by Innuits seeking treasure.
A few feet east of this house was a sort of stone breastwork, such as the natives erect for shelter when hunting, and also a pile of stones, which might have been made, as I thought, by Frobisher's men, to cover some memorial left by them when trying to escape in their ship.
Much of the island was covered with shingle, and this, on the north side, was so compact, and of such even surface, that it reminded me of the small cobble-stone pavements in cities.
I collected as many relics from these ruins as we could possibly carry, and, with Koojesse, returned to the boat. On our way he said to me,
"The men who built the ship, and started with it, all died—died with the cold."
I asked him how he knew this; and he replied that "all the old Innuits said so."
This agreed precisely with what old Ookijoxy Ninoo told me the previous winter in the oral history she then communicated to me, and I felt convinced that all the evidences before me could refer to no other than Frobisher's expedition, and the men left behind by that explorer. She said that the five men built a ship, and found so much ice that they could not proceed, and finally all froze to death.
This island is generally called "Kod-lu-narn" because white men lived on it, and built stone houses, and also a ship. The ship was built for the object of escaping from this region. In the previous winter, while passing on our way from the ship to Oopungnewing—an island three miles southwest from Kodlunarn—Koojesse had pointed out this latter island, and said that white men once built a ship there. I gave little heed to his statement at the time, because I knew that to build a ship such materials were required as the regions thereabout ​were quite destitute of. But when I heard the history of Ookijoxy Ninoo, I saw at once the probability there was that Koojesse was right.
From what I saw that day, I was fully convinced that many, very many years ago, men of civilization did live upon the island called by the Innuits Kodlunarn, and that they did build a vessel—probably a schooner—there.
The evidence was contained in the following objects which I saw around me, viz.:—
Coal; flint-stone; fragments of tile, glass, and pottery; an excavation which I have called an abandoned mine; a trench made by the shore on an inclined plane, such as is used in building a ship on the stocks; the ruins of three stone houses, one of which was twelve feet in diameter, with palpable evidence of its having been erected on a foundation of stone cemented together with lime and sand; and some chips of wood which I found on digging at the base of the ship's trench.
Upon this evidence, then—coupled with Esquimaux tradiion, as given to me by several persons apart from each other, and at different times—I founded my opinions respecting Frobisher's expedition, as I have already stated them.
It was night before we left the island, darkness alone ending the search. We had to row back, the native crew pulling cheerfully as we bounded along. The lights of the tupics on Niountelik were my beacon ahead, and above were the glorious stars in all their beauty, while the silvery moon was rising from behind the mountains of Tikkoon. The time seemed long since all had appeared so fair to me as then; and when we arrived at the tents, I went to my rest truly thankful at having been permitted to accomplish what I had that day been enabled to do.
The following morning, September 23d, I continued my researches in this interesting sound, leaving Niountelik at 8 a.m. There was a strong head wind, but my crew were good at the oars, and away we went merrily toward the mainland beyond Kodlunarn. As we passed across the bay, my heart was greatly elated at the thought of what I was then accomplishing. A ​glance at the red, white, and blue cheered me onward in the work of ripping up the mysteries of three centuries. That symbol was my constant, cheering, helping companion night and day.
In about an hour we arrived at the cape of land called Tikkoon, and, upon landing, I proceeded to a small plain about a quarter of a mile from the cape. The Innuits went on before me, I having my compass and tripod in hand to take bearings. All at once—to quote from my diary—
"My attention was drawn to the extreme of the plain, facing Kodlunarn, by the beach, where I saw Koo-ter-e-nier (Miner) calling by shouts to the other Innuits and myself, holding up his arms and hands. The Innuits started on a run, and so did I, for I was sure something of interest had been found. Arriving at the spot, what was before me? A relic of three centuries! Iron—time-eaten, with ragged teeth!
"This iron, weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds, was on the top of a granite rock, just within reach of high tide at full and change of moon. The iron stain from this specimen was in the rock; otherwise its top was cleanly washed.
"This was just what I wanted to find—some of the heavy stone which the venerable Innuit woman, Ookijoxy Ninoo, had told me about the previous winter. Of course my heart was a happy one in finding this iron, brought here only eighty-six years after the discovery of America by Columbus.
"The Innuit circles of stones at Tikkoon, indicating this to be a place for the summer residences of the Innuits, were very numerous. I know not where I have seen more numerous signs of Innuits than on the plain a little distant from the cape. Between the plain and the extremity of the cape the usual rough old rocks are the nature of the land. The north side is flanked by high, bold mountains, a bay extending back for a mile or so on the west side. On the east side extends the bay, one branch of which leads toward Field Bay. The plain extends across the cape from one bay to the other, the distance being less than one-eighth of a mile. The "heavy ​stone" was found at the coast edge facing Kodlunarn, which island is about half a mile off. Bones of ducks, tuktoo, walrus, and whale were numerous all around. Some were very old, being nearly overgrown with grass and moss. I doubt not, two or three centuries old were some of these remains."
BOAT IN A STORM.
On leaving Tikkoon the wind was strong from the northeast, and it soon increased to a gale. Kooterenier (Miner) was my boat-steerer, and well he performed his task in passing ​several dangerous places where heavy gusts came rushing down the ravines or over the abrupt mountains. Our boat shipped much water, the mad waves frequently flying over us. Once a sharp gust caught us while under sail, and instantly sent the boat onward toward a dangerous reef of rocks on our lee. In a moment sail was down, oars out, and all hands pulling strong and rapidly to clear the danger. Fortunately, a few moments of hard work carried us free, and we soon after reached Cape Ood-loo-ong and landed.
Here I took a few compass bearings, and walked about to examine the spot. Many relics of Innuits were seen here. After remaining there an hour we again started, and proceeded up Victoria Bay, keeping well inshore for smoother water. The scenery was magnificent. Stupendous cliffs rose up almost perpendicular from the water's edge, and mountains towered high above me, the sides of some crumbling as if from age and the work of winter's freezing power. One precipitous mountain, about half way up the bay, had the whole side of it torn from summit to base, and cast down.
As we approached this mountain my eye caught sight of a cave. I landed to examine it, and the moment I set foot on shore I was struck with amazement at the huge rocks, high up and overhanging my head, seemingly ready to totter and fall. The cave was one of those made by the action of ice in winter and the sea and sun in summer. The ice had rent the rocks and fastened upon them; the sun, with its heat, and the wind, with its power, then went to work, tearing up the frozen masses of ice, and forcing out the rocks, thus leaving the mountain partly disembowelled, as I found it. By measurement, the cave was fifty feet long, by a width of ten feet, and a height of fifteen to twenty feet at the entrance. The strata of rocks were perpendicular. The sides, however, were not as rough and jagged as were the roof and base. Icicles, long, numerous, and large, hung from the top, giving an air of enchantment to the scene.
Returning to the boat, we resumed our hard labour at the oars, the wind being right ahead. We had not proceeded far ​before Koojesse sighted a seal floating a little distance off on our right. He instantly prepared for a shot, and stood up in the bow of the boat ready to fire. In another moment, and within twenty-five feet of the seal, crack went the rifle. A floundering commenced, the boat was in an instant alongside of the prey, and Koojesse laid hold of his prize with both hands, the other Innuits immediately aiding him. I shall not soon forget that scene. A line was thrown around the seal's flippers, but the animal was still alive, and struggled so much that all the power we had could hardly get it into the boat. As it was drawn up, the dying seal glanced around and upon us with its plaintive eyes, and its innocent-looking face seemed to plead for mercy, as though it were human. I actually felt a shudder creeping over me as it looked at us; but, on the instant, a knife in the hands of Kooperneung was buried deep in it. Another struggle, and the poor seal lay dead. Koojesse told me that occasionally, on a windy day, seals will thus float upon the surface of the water for the sake of having the wind blow on their backs.
A little later we landed at Ek-ke-le-zhun, a point of interest and importance to me. This place is a tongue of land which juts out nearly half across the bay, and serves to form above it one of the safest and finest harbours I ever saw. The scenery around is grand and impressive, and I saw enough to convince me that it is a most desirable spot for a vessel to anchor in.
While the Innuits were feasting on the seal I took a walk upon the shore. All the land above high-water mark was covered with snow; but, looking attentively on the ground, to my delight I discovered a small, thin lamina of coal. On the day we left Oopungnewing (August 13th), on our voyage up Frobisher Bay, Koojesse told me that he knew of a place not far off, up a bay, where there was a great deal more of the coal such as I had found at Niountelik. My experience, now narrated, shows both that Koojesse was honest in his statement, and also—which is a point of great importance—that the Esquimaux traditionary history, extending back for centuries, is wonderfully accurate.
​Imbedded in the rocks I also found some heavy black substances, 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 specimens, 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 quantities, and also a little pile of flint-stones similar to those discovered 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 considerably 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 astounded. But I could not lose time. I therefore at once commenced an inspection of the heap, and soon found a large chip imbedded in the coal. This chip, my companion declared, was never 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 Kodlunarn, everything they found was apparently passed to me. I discovered, however, that they pocketed some of the best specimens of the flint-stones, and I had eventually to resort to diplomacy 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 appeared when opened in the presence of many persons here after my return.
Night was now fast approaching, and I could stay no longer. The Innuits had descended to the boat before I could tear myself away from the interesting spot; and long after we left, and while we were running rapidly out of the bay under a favouring breeze, did I keep my gaze fixed and my thoughts centred upon it.
Our course back was directly across Countess of Warwick's Sound to Niountelik. The wind was strong and in our favour, so that we made rapid progress, and in good time reached the island. But the surf was too high for landing on the weather-side. Accordingly, we went round into the same bight where I landed on the memorable day of my first discovering the coal here.
It was dark when we arrived, and there was much difficulty in getting everything up the abrupt bank flanking the place of landing. My own labour was severe, especially in my then weak state. Many were the struggles I made to carry up safely the chronometer and other important articles. Two hours were occupied in doing this, and in getting up the boat above high water; but at length all was accomplished, and we arrived at the tupics at a late hour, wearied beyond measure with our exertions.
This time no hot coffee or tea awaited me, as heretofore, when Suzhi attended to the matter. My supper was ice-water and molasses, with bread soaked in it, and some dried venison—a poor diet to a cold and enfeebled system.