Viewing page 581 of 661
This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.
Private Journal (4 1861 Dec 10 Tues on Kod-lu-narn? He replied 'Yes' & then at my request proceeded to show what kind of a place it was. A snow block was in the bottom of the Igloo wh had been brought in for making snow water. I told Tuk-oo-li-too to have Old Innuit take a snow Knife & show us what kind of a place the Kod-lu-narns had made in wh. to build the ship. Old Innuit took the snow Knife & commenced trimming the block of snow - then proceeded to chip out a trench comparatively wide & deep at the edge - but shallow & narrow at its termination. He then swept his knife around the block of snow to represent the location of the trench in the Island - also moved it around, occasionally giving it a rolling sweep to represent the appearance of the stone around the trench that had been excavated. Tuk-oo-li-too (as well as myself) was much interested in this old Innuit's description, so well & truthfully did he delineate its character & appearance. I was careful to avoid letting him know that I knew any thing about the facts he gave me. I asked him what was the character of the nuna where they dug this trench? As I asked this question I put my finger at the [[underlined]] bottom [[/underlined]] of the model trench before us, Tuk-oo-li-too & old Innuit having their eyes upon my movements. The answer [[underlined]] astonished me, [[/underlined]] it being the very [[underlined]] reverse [[/underlined]] from what I expected. [[end page]] [[start page]] Private Journal (5 1861 Dec. 10th Tues. Old Innuit's answer was: 'that it was [[underlined]] soft' [[/underlined]] I took it that he meant it was all the same as sand or loom or something of that nature. I then told Tuk-oo-li-too to ask the question again. The Old Innuit replied 'soft - [[underlined]] very soft - same as wood all falling to pieces [[/underlined]] - the [[?tarrioke]] came up into the trench where the wood was soft & wet!' These were deeply interesting facts unexpectedly disemtoombed! I found on my return trip from Frobisher Bay Discovery one pice of Wood at the bottom of this trench, the larger portion of it of the character described by this old Innuit - it was beneath stone that had fallen from the trench'e's banks, the top of the stick was dry while the base was imbedded firmly in rock & sand, all of wh. was in a moist state. From observations I found said point was within reach of high water during Full & Change of Moons. All the moist portion of the wood was truly soft falling in thin pieces at the very touch. How much of the bottom of this trench was occupied by said timbers set upright in the ground I had not the instruments (tools) to determine. Thus it seems that the pointing of my finger to the bottom of the model trench & asking the question wh. I did tho' the question was misunderstood brought out unexpected testimony bearing on the wood wh. I found in the bottom of the trench. Old Innuit said a good deal of soft wood used to be in the bottom of that trench. Comprehending my question, he said that the trench was dug out of rock. I asked where the [[underlined]] little red pieces [[/underlined]] could be found. He pointed to the model trench & passed the point of his snow knife around the banks of the trench & said [[underlined]] there - there. [[/underlined]] I asked relative to another (the Hi-pung-er) trench. He never heard of it. Had never seen it. Knew nothing of Kod-lu-narns building or living in stone houses. Had not seen the stone that Kod-lu-narns made "Igloo" of on Kod-lu-narn. Only 3 men built the ship -
