[meteorite-list] What are the latest Iron Falls?

[Jeffrey Shallit]

> From: Darren Garrison <cynapse at charter.net>
> 
> The Cape York meteorites (there are several of them) in Greenland.  They =
> were being used by the
> natives to make iron tools.  Future polar explorer Robert Perry convinced=
>  one of the natives to show
> him the location of the meteorites and he promptly stole them, because of=
>  course they didn't belong
> to anyone-- well, anyone WHITE.  (Sorry for the soap box, but that story =
> really offends me.  The
> native were obviously making use of the meteorite for tools vital to =
> them-- tools for hunting and
> fishing.  But without so much as asking permission or making payments, he=
>  went into their land and,
> yes, STOLE their meteorites simply because of the racist assumption that,=
>  because they weren't
> educated white people, then the meteorites were free for the taking).

Peary, not Perry.  It's my understanding that Peary actually gave the
natives lots of iron that was more suitable for making tools in return
for the meteorites.  Maybe I'm wrong, and I'm sure Peary was a man of his
time with attitudes of that time, but maybe it's not a simple case of theft
as you imply.

Jeffrey Shallit