Erasmus Augustine York, whose native name was Kallihirua, was brought
to England on board Her Majesty's ship "Assistance," Captain Erasmus
Ommanney, in 1851. Captain Ommanney was second in command of the
expedition under the orders of Captain Horatio Austin, C.B., which was
dispatched in May, 1850, in search of the missing vessels of Sir John
Franklin, the "Erebus" and "Terror". Franklin had quitted England on his
perilous and fatal enterprise in May, 1845.
Much interest was attached to the young Esquimaux, who was considered
to be about sixteen years of age in August, 1850. He was one of a
tribe inhabiting the country in the vicinity of Wolstenholme Sound, at
the head of Baffin's Bay, in 76° 3' north latitude, the nearest
residents to the North Pole of any human beings known to exist on the
globe. He was the only person ever brought to this country from so
high a northern latitude. His tribe was met with by the late Sir John
Ross, during his voyage in 1818, and was by him called the Arctic
Highlanders.