Quote:
Originally Posted by johnclone
Historically, how many were supposedly killed by Innuit ghosts?
|
Who knows?
But what was interesting is the documentaries had several and sometimes different Innuit stories which were supported by the fact that the searchers came across them in possession of British supplies and relics such as the gold cord on a uniform, swords, etc.
One Innuit would be the guy that the opening scene is based on. He was found by searchers and told them he had run across who they believed to be Crozier and about 30 men trying to walk out. They were freezing and starving and the Innuit had given them some seal meat and helped them shelter for the night but then left them the next morning with them screaming to him as he left them in a language he didn't understand. Obviously they would have been pleading for him not to leave them and to come back but I guess the natives at that time only survived in small groups of 10 to 20 and there was no way to take on an extra 30 mean with no useful (to their way of thinking) skills.
Another told of going to one of the ships and finding just a few starving men who grabbed him and wouldn't let him go until the captain came out and ordered him released. He was told NOT to go down to the camp located a ways from the ship. Since evidence of cannabilism was found in the camp it is believed that the crew split between those willing to commit cannabalism and those who wouldn't.
Finally the last story and last known encounter is an Innuit was found with a sword with the same year on it as James graduated from some academy so they thought it was his. He said he saw 5 white men trying to walk out and later found them dead and took the sword.
I think there were a couple other stories but those are the ones I remember.
The reason they couldn't find the ships for years is because they were looking in the wrong place. For the entire time before they were discovered they were looking for them where the Innuit had seen them frozen in the ice. Given where they were found and condition it is now believed that after the 3rd or 4th year they thawed out and whatever crew or men were left made an attempt to sail them out (all fuel would have been long ago burned) but in their condition could only make it that far.
