She is the widow
of Pooyetah, spoken of by Sir John Ross and Captain Hall. She appeared
to be about seventy years old, and was an object of high esteem by her
people, as was evinced in the care that was bestowed upon her comfort.
She said she had never seen any of Franklin's men alive, but saw six
skeletons on the main-land and an adjacent island--four on the
main-land and two on the island. This she pointed out on the southern
coast near ninety-five degrees west longitude. There were no graves
at either place. Her husband was with her at the time, and seven other
Inuits. This was when she was at the boat place west of Richardson
Point. In fact, she seemed to have the two places somewhat mixed up in
her mind, and Ogzeuckjeuwock took up the thread of the narrative here.
In answer to a question which we asked his mother, he said he saw books
at the boat place in a tin case, about two feet long and a foot square,
which was fastened, and they broke it open. The case was full. Written
and printed books were shown him, and he said they were like the
printed ones. Among the books he found what was probably the needle of
a compass or other magnetic instrument, because he said when it touched
any iron it stuck fast. The boat was right side up, and the tin case in
the boat. Outside the boat he saw a number of skulls.
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