14S ACCOUNT OP THE AUCTIC REGIONS^ 



long, ten broad and six high. The seams were 

 caulked with moss. Near the ground were two 

 windows, of six panes of glass each, one on the east 

 side and the other on the south. The roof, which 

 was flat, was formed of deals, and loaded with stones. 

 A barrel without ends composed the chimney. To 

 the north end of the building was attached a small 

 square court, open at the top, having a door-way on 

 the east side of it, communicating with, and afford- 

 ing some shelter to, the door of the hut. In the 

 outer court were two casks of about 100 gallons ca- 

 pacity each, which were found to be filled with 

 meal. Several tubs lay near the casks, and a quan- 

 tity of pease. In the interior of the hut we found 

 a variety of domestic utensils, consisting of platters, 

 a stool, an earthen pot, horn-spoons, a tomahawk, a 

 boat-hook, a spear, and several small wax-tapers, with 

 a variety of trifling articles. On a wooden bench fix- 

 ed against the west side of the apartment, were 

 ranged in order with pendant necks, at least twenty 

 ducks, with a number of eggs about them ; they 

 were all in a state of putrefaction. From these ap- 

 pearances, I judged this hut had been occupied by 

 some Russian hunters, who, from the quantity of 

 provisions left behind, seemed to have either perish- 

 ed prematurely, or had some intention of returning. 

 Lest the latter should happen to be the case, I 

 caused the meal casks to be secured from the wea- 

 ther, and forbid the sailors from removing any arti- 



