The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-10-21

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skeletons in and about them. One OF
these boats had been previously found
by McClintock; the other was found
lying from one-quarter to one-halt
mile distant, and must have been com
pletely entombed in snow at the time
McClintock's parties were there, or
they most assuredly would have seen
it. In and about this boat, besides
the many skeletons alluded to, were
found many relics, most of them SINH
lar in character to those McClintOck
has enumerated as having been found
in the boathe discovered. The ma
tive who conducted this native party
in it's search over King Williams
Land is the same individual who gave
DR.. Rae the first information about
white men having died to the west
ward of where he (Dr. Rae) then was
! (Pelly Bay, in the spring Of 1854.
His name is I-nook-poo, zhejOok, and
he is a native of Neitchille, a very
great traveller, and very intelligent.
He is, in fact, a walking history of
the fate of Sir John Franklin's expe-
dition. This native 1 met when with
in one days sIedge journey of King
Williams Land-off Point Dryden
and after stopping a few days among
his people, he accompanied me to the
places visited on and about King
Williams Land.
The same year that the Erebus and
Terror were abandoned, one of them
consummated the Great Northwest
Passage, having five men aboard.
The evidence of the exact number is
circumstantial. Everything about
this Northwest Passage ship of Sir
John Franklin's expedition was in
complete order; four boats were hang
ing high up at the ships sides, and
one was on the quarter deck; the YES
sci was in its winter housing Of sail
or tent-cloth. This vessel was found
by the Ook joo-lik natives near
O'ReiIly Island, lat. $50 30 n long.
$50 w, early in the spring of 1919, it
being frozen in the midst Of u smooth
and unbroken foe of ice OF only one
winters formation. From certain
evidences l have gained, both at Ig-
loo-lik and King Williams Land,
there must have been dog of the
greyhound species belonging to one
or the other Of the two ships. l only
know this through native testimony.
1t is quite likely that some one in
! England can tell whether there was
dog on board either of the ships
when Sir John Franklin left in 1915.
To complete the history of Sir John
FrankE last expedition, one must
spend a summer on King William S
Land with a considerable party,
whose only business should be to make
searches for records which beyond
doubt lie buried on that island. am
certain from what l have heard the
natives say, and from what saw my
self, that little or nothing more can be
gained by making searches there
while the land is clothed in its winter
garb, for the Esquimaux have made
search after search over all the coast
of King Williams Land, on either
side, from its southern extreme up to
Cape Felix, the northern point, for
anything and everything that belong
ed to the companions of Sir John
Franklin, and these searches have
been made when the snow had nearly
all disappeared from the land.
My sledge company from RepuIse
Bay to King Williams Land consist
ed of eleven souls, all EsquimauX-
Although they are as untamable as
eagles by nature, yet by theiF aid
alone | was enabled TO reach points
otherwise inaccessible, and when there
to gain much important information
relative to the fute of Sir John Frank
Inns expedition. tried hard to ac-
complish far more than [ did, but
none Of the company would, on any
account whatever, consent to remain
with me in that country and make a
summer search over the island, which
from information l had reason to sup
pose would be rewarded by the dis,
covery of the whole of the manuscript
records that bad accumulated in thai
great expedition, and been deposited
in vault a little way inland OF
eastward of Cape Victory. Knowing
as now do, the character of the Els.
uuimaux in that part of the country
in which King Williams Land is sit
uated L can not wonder at nor blame
the Repulse Bay natives for their re
fusal to remain there as l desired.
1t is quite probable that, had We
remained as l wished, no one of u
would ever have got out of the coun
, try alive. How could we expect, /
we had got into straitened Circum
, stances, that we shouldTecieve bette
treatment from the Esquimaux Of tina
/ country than the one hundred ant
five souls who were under the com
. mand of the heroic CrOzier, some tim
, after landing on King William
Land? Could I and my party, wit
reasonable safety, have remained t
I make a summer search on King VIII
g liam's Land, it is not only prObabl
a that we should have recovered tn
logs and journals of Sir John Frank
Inns expedition, but have gathere,
up and entombed the remains of near
ly one hundred of his companions
for they lie about the places Wher
a the three boats have been found, an
at the large camping place at the hea
s of Terror Bay; and the three Othe
0 places that I have already mentioned
t In the Cove, west side of Point Rich
e ardsOn, however, nature herself ha
t opened her bosom and given sepultur
g to the remains of the immortal herOe
t who died there.
s Wherever the E5quimaux hav
, found the graves of Franklin's con
= panions they have dug them Ope
f and robbed the dead, leaving then
S exposed to the ravages of wild beasts
J. On Todd's Island the remains of fiv
IS men were not buried, but, after tn
# savages had robbed them of every al
ticle that could be turned to any a.
It count for their use, their dogs wei
IS allowed to finish the disgusting wOrl
Is Wherever 1 found that Sir job
IS FrankIin's companions had died
o prpcfpd monuments, then fired saint