296 A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 
of a rude oblong figure, about eight feet long, 
and five or six feet broad, besides a place about. 
two feet square at the end of each, which, I have 
been told, is that where the Esquimaux keep their 
provisions. Detached from the huts, we found a 
square between two and three feet each way, which 
we supposed to have been the cooking place of the. 
whole party. Ata little distance from this there 
was another rectangular place, of the use of which 
we could form no idea; it was about three feet 
long and one foot broad, and filled to the depth of 
six or seven inches with ptarmigans’ dung. How 
long it is since these huts were inhabited, it is im- 
possible to say, but it must have been’many years 
ago, for the flags with which they were paved were 
covered with moss, and the exposed sides of the 
stones that composed the walls were all covered 
with lichen. But whatever the length of time may 
be since they were inhabited, it is probable that 
those who did inhabit them were not strangers to 
this coast, for they certainly chose the most eligible 
spot for game that we have seen in the country. 
The geographical site of these huts was nearly 
as follows, viz. lat. '75° 2’ 37” N., and longitude, 
by chronometer, 48’ 48” west of Winter Harbour ; 
I have said nearly, because the observations from 
which these results were obtained were made at 
the tents, which were about half a mile inland of 
the huts. The variation of the compass was found 
here to be 126° 1’ 48” easterly. Every object that 
we had in view at this place, being at length 
accomplished, we packed up, and resumed our 
journey at six o’clock in the evening, the weather 
