During the year and a half that the 'Erebus' and 'Terror'
were frozen fast in the Victoria Strait, the officers had probably
surveyed the adjacent shores very carefully, and had undoubtedly made
observations that were highly important. Especially would this be the
case with their magnetical observations, as they were right upon the
magnetic pole. We saw some tall and very conspicuous cairns near Cape
Felix, which had no records in them, and were apparently erected as
points of observation from the ships. As their terrible experience
commenced after abandoning the vessels, it is probable that their time
previous to that was occupied in a manner creditable to themselves and
exceedingly valuable to all interested in scientific work. The records
of these observations were in all probability contained in the tin box
which Ogzeuckjeuwock speaks of as having been found and lost beyond
recovery.
An old Netchillik, named Ockarnawole, stated that five years ago he and
his son, who was also present in the igloo, made an excursion along the
north-western coast of King William Land. Between Victory Point and
Cape Felix they found some things in a small cask near the salt water.
In a monument that he did not take down, he found between the stones
five jack-knives and a pair of scissors, also a small flat piece of
tin, now lost; saw no graves at this place, but found what, from his
description of the way the handle was put on, was either an adze or a
pickaxe.
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