28. Inuit descriptions of some of the Franklin men.

1. Kok-lee-arng-nun’s description of a senior officer, possibly Sir John Franklin.

In 1866 Hall on route to King William Island encountered a group of Inuit. Kok-lee-arng-nun, their head man, described a senior officer: (Nourse 1879, p. 255):

‘The Pelly Bay men described the Esh-e-mut-ta as an old man with broad shoulders, thick and heavier set than Hall, with grey hair, full face and bald head. He was always wearing something over his eyes (spectacles, as Too-koo-li-too interpreted it), was quite lame, and appeared sick when they last saw him.   He was kind to the Inuit; – always wanting them to eat something. Ag-loo-ka (Crozier) and another man would go and do everything that Too-loo-ark told them, just like boys; he was a very cheerful man, always laughing; everybody liked him – all the kob-lu-nas (white men) and all the Innuits. Kok-lee-arng-nun showed how Too-loo-ark and Aglooka used to meet him. They would take hold of his hand, giving it a few warm and friendly shakes and Too-loo-ark would say, ‘Ma-my-too-mig-tay-ma’. Aglooka’s hand shaking was short and jerky, and he would only say ‘Mun-nig-too-ne’. After the first summer and winter, they saw no more of Too-loo-ark; then Ag-loo-ka (Crozier) was the Esh-e-mut-ta.’

The description might be of Sir John or if at a later time Captain Crozier.

2. Tuk-ke-ta and Ow-wer’s testimony the Washington Bay encounter in 1850. (Woodman, 1995).

These two Inuit met first with the officer and the marine who accompanied him in Washington Bay. The officer was called Aglooka and ordered the marine to lay down his firearm and accompany him. Later Aglooka told a short man with whiskers and a moustache to speak with the Inuit. Tuk-ke-ta described the interpreter as short and narrow faced. The interpreter exchanged names. The three white men were identified as ‘Aglooka’ (possibly Marine Sergeant Solomon Tozer of Erebus), Toolooah (possibly Ice Master Thomas Blanky of Terror), and ‘Ill-kern’ (possibly marine private William Pilkington of Erebus). Hall’s interpreters thought the man who interpreted for Aglooka was Dr. Alexander McDonald. Assistant surgeon of Terror, because he had previously visited the area.

‘Aglooka (Crozier) about my (Hall’s) height, hair nearly like mine (aubern) but a little darker than mine & did not stand erect but with head and shoulders dropping forward a little (Something like Captain Christopher Chapel, as Ou-e-la and Jack say) – no grey hair, a scar mark across the small or indent (?) of nose.’

‘Too-loo-a stood erect, strait up, so strait that a little bent back – that is breasted out, having a slight curve inward from hands to shoulders. His hair a little grey……..Too-loo-a’s body found on the Isle of Kee-u-na & was one of the 5 found there. His skull seen there of late years with grey hair & with whiskers adhering to the skull. ‘

3. Ahlangyah’s testimony of the Washington Bay encounter of 1850 (Gilder, 1881).

Some of the white men were very thin, and their mouths were dry and hard and black. They had no fur clothing on. When asked if she remembered by what names the white men were called, she said one of them was called ‘Agloocar’ and another ‘Toolooah’.  The latter seemed to be the chief, and it was he who gave the chopping knife to her husband……Another one was called ‘doktook’ (Doctor).  ‘Toolooah’ was a little older than the others, and had a large black beard, mixed with grey. He was bigger than any of the others – ‘a big broad man’. ‘Agloocar’ was smaller, and had a brown beard about four or five inches below his chin (motioning with her hand. ‘Dock-took’ was a short man, with a big stomach and red beard, about the same length as ‘Agloocar’s’. All three wore spectacles, not snow goggles, but, as the interpreter said, all same seko (ice).

4. Ow-wer’s description of May 8th 1869 of retratingmen in Washington Bay in 1850 (Nourse, 1879, p.606):

‘Crozier has a little book as he sat in Ow-wer’s tent, and wrote notes. He said, while in the tent, ‘Ag-loo-ka wonger,’ patting his  own breast.  Outside he said he was going to I-wil-lik, making motions with his hand in that direction.  No dog with Ag-loo-ka’s company, now-yers (gulls), geese and ducks hanging to the boat. One man only very fat, the others all poor. One man with Crozier in Ow-wer’s tent said, Tier-kin wonger.  One man with one of his upper teeth gone, and one with marks on the indent or saddle of his nose…..No sword worn by Crozier. In a little bay were Crozier’s party when the Innuits first saw them. One man cross-eyed or squinted………..Crozier, while in Ow-wer’s tent, eat a piece of seal, raw about as big as fore and next finger to first joint.’

5. Ouela and his brother’s description of four survivors who were fed through the winter of 1850-51 (Nourse, 1879, p. 591).

‘The man who caught seals for Aglooka (Crozier) and some of his men – is their cousin.  His name is Too-shoo-ar-thar-i-u. When first found ‘Crozier’ (more likely to be Marine Sergeant Solomon Tozer of Erebus) he had three men with him. ‘Crozier’s’ face looked bad – his eyes all sunk in – looked so bad that their cousin could not bear to look at his face. Their cousin gave Crozier a bit of raw seal meat to eat as quick as he could when he first saw him.  Did not give any to the other three. For they were fat and had been eating the flesh of their companions. It was near Neitch-il-le that this occurred on the ice.’

6. Frank Analok’s description of men encountered at Imnguyaaluk Island (Eber,  2008).

‘There was a man called Meetik – the duck.  Another was older and talked a lot, who was superior. He was called ‘Qoitoyok’ – one who goes to the bathroom a lot. Even though he was an adult he was known to wet his bed at night.’.

6. Kok-lee-arngh-nun’s testimony of the ‘Black Men’ (1849 or 1850).

This testimony is given and discussed separately.

7. In-nook-poo-shee-jook’s testimony of the dead man found aboard Erebus after 1850 (Nourse, 1879, p.404).

‘To get into the igloo (cabin) they knocked a hole through because it was locked. They found there a dead man, whose body was very large and heavy, his teeth very long. It took five men to lift this giant kob-lu-na. He was left where they found him.’

Roobol (2019) has suggested this was possibly the body of Captain James Fitzjames and the cabin which contained the body plus five Inuit to lift the body, was not a small officers cabin but the Captains great cabin.