11.6 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 



for fuel ;— a practice very common among the Lon- 

 don fishermen, at this period, who often sailed with 

 a very scanty stock, of coals on board. Here the 

 first wintering of the Russians, to the northward 

 of the Foreland, had been attempted, their first 

 hut having been built the preceding year. This 

 hut having been seen by the party in search of 

 wood, on their first landing, motives of curiosity 

 led them to examine it. They hollowed as they 

 approached it ; but no one appeared. The door be- 

 ing defended by a small open court, one of tlie par- 

 ty entered it ; and, applying his eye to the hole for 

 the latch, observed a man extended on the floor, as 

 he thought, sleeping. Receiving no answer to their 

 shouts, they at length opened the door, and found 

 the man a corpse. His cheek, which was laid on 

 the groimd, was covered with a green concretion of 

 mould ; and his covering,, besides his clothes, was 

 only a Russian mat. Several jackets, and other 

 articles of clothing, were seen on a bench, on which 

 the inmates appeared to have slept ; but no other 

 individual, living or dead, was observed. It was 

 supposed, that his companions had shared the same 

 fate, and had been buried by him,, who, as the last- 

 survivor, had no one to perform the same kindly of- 

 fice on himself The yawl belonging to the suffer- 

 ers was found hauled up on the beach ; it was fully 

 equipped with oars, together with mast and sail. 



