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1861 July 23 Tues.

I now come to an important part of my special business.  This eve, before Sun down, I took an excellent spy & went up flag-staff-hill.  There across the rib of rocks I aimed - & swept the horizon round about.  The story of Sharkey, the laughing Innuit, induced me to make a careful look between the S. extreme of Meta Incognita & the extreme of the Ex. Land of my recent visit which of course covers the Mouth - the whole entrance to Frobisher Bay.
I was astonished to find that land - Islands - stretch [[underlined]] nearly across. [[/underlined]]  Sharkey says that he has been to said Islands - that Innuits some times make passage across the Mouth of this Bay by starting on the Kin-quite side striking for 1st Island North thence to the next & so on [[underlined]] slowly [[/underlined]] - (the Innuit way of travelling getting their food as they go along) & from the last Island making to or near this point.  He further says that many years ago Rein-deer were very numerous on said Islands but at last the [[?moss]] failed & they all died.  Rein-deer horns & bones are scattered all over the land where they once were.

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1861 July 23 Tues.

Charley (Koo-pen-ne-wag) son of Miner's wife has also been in said Islands so of his mother.  I asked Sharkey how long it would take to go from this point to the nearest Island at the mouth of Frobisher Bay - he said 2 days.  Polar Bears are plenty there too.
By Sharkey's description, the "George Henry" will have to keep well to the N. say between Ex Land & the Islands that cross the entrance to F. Bay to make passage into it.  So here is another Geographical Matter to be determined.  Who of the Civilized World ever have had it in mind that Islands stretched across the opening to what has been called Frobisher Strait?  I shall endeavor to determine the position & nature of this "Unknown Land" before leaving for the States.
On arriving have learned that the Innuuit crew (among whom is my friend Ebierbing) had left this Morn on a ducking shoot.  As I was on flag staff hill I spied them returning - just rounding the point on the right of the W. entrance to Lupton Channel.  When they arrived each one had 8 to 10 Ducks.  They were nearly all deposited at the