130 ACCOUNT OF THE AUCTIC REGIONS. 



first was by no means rapid ; but on reaching the 

 middle of it, we came to a surface of solid ice, 

 perhaps a hundred yards across, over which we 

 launched with astonishing velocity, but happily 

 escaped without injury. The men whom we left 

 below, viewed this latter movement with astonish- 

 ment and fear. 



On the flat of land next the sea, we met with 

 the horns of rein-deer, many skulls and other bones 

 of sea-horses, whales, narwhales, foxes and seals, 

 and some human skeletons laid in chest-like coffins, 

 exposed naked on the strand. Two Russian lodges 

 formed of logs of pine, with a third in ruins, were 

 also seen ; the former, from a quantity of fresh 

 cliips about them, and other appearances within 

 them, gave evidence of their having been recently 

 inhabited. One of them, though small, seemed a 

 middling kind of lodging, but smelt intolerably of 

 the smoke of wood and steam of oil. Many do- 

 mestic utensils were within and about it. A new 

 hurdle lay by the door, and traps for foxes and 

 birds were scattered along the beach. These huts 

 were built upon the ridge of shingle adjoming the 

 sea. 



Among the shingle on the beach, were numbers 

 of nests, containing the eggs of terns, ducks, and 

 burgomasters, and in some of them were young birds. 

 One of the latter, which we took on board, was 

 very lively, and grew rapidly ; but having taken a 



