Page:Life with the Esquimaux - 1864 - Volume 1.djvu/292

Rh spring (though there is no real spring in those regions) presented themselves. But here a few extracts from my diary at this time may be suitable. "April 8th, 1861.—This the party of eight which left the George Henry last Sunday for Frobisher Bay, to trade for walrus meat, returned. They were accompanied by the Innuit Sharkey, a man as dark-coloured as a negro. A large quantity of walrus meat was obtained, which furnished us with abundant fresh food for ourselyes, and plenty for the dogs. To-day we had venison for dinner."

The First Traditionary History gained from the Esquimaux relating to Frobisher's Expedition.

About the 1st of April, 1861, there was quite an intelligent Esquimaux, named Koojesse, in the neighbourhood where I was (Rescue Harbour), who occasionly, in his communications, made reference, in a vague way, to a certain matter which at first excited but little of my attention, and yet, in the sequel, it will be seen that it related to what was of the most important character. I had several conversations with this Esquimaux in the presence of Captain Budington, who, being more proficient at that time than myself in the Innuit vernacular, assisted me as interpreter. This native spoke of a time long, long ago, when kod-lu-nas (white men) built a vessel on an island in the bay lower down (Frobisher Bay). Spoke also of brick ("mik-e-oo-koo-loo oug," small red pieces), timber, chips, &c. as having been left there. The idea of a vessel having been built in those regions seemed too improbable to be entertained for a moment. So unreasonable did the story appear of constructing a ship in such a perfectly woodless country, that I thought it a waste of time and paper to make a record of it; therefore what transpired in the first two or three interviews with the Esquimaux Koojesse, in relation to this subject, is not in my original notes. Finally, in a few days, I began in my reflections to connect the Esquimaux report with the time when Martin Frobisher made his