NATIVE BURYING-GROUND. 221 



Bay there Avas much pack, an occasional piece of 

 saihng ice might be seen, as also the barrier to seaward, 

 but otherwise all was free. Several small inlets were 

 visible along the point, and one or two lagoons. In 

 my walk I came upon a sort of burying-ground ; 

 numerous heaps and sods of earth lay about with a 

 stick or two placed in them. I counted six human 

 skulls upon them, but saw no other bones, and from 

 the smallness of the mounds and undisturbed appear- 

 ance of the smTounding soil, conjectm'ed that the 

 corpses had been buried in an upright position, with 

 their heads at or above the surface. The Esquimaux 

 did not offer me the slightest molestation, and after 

 gathering a few plants and flowers, and picking up a 

 piece of coal, which was probably sea-borne from Cape 

 Beaufort, where it exists in plenty, I returned to the 

 boats. 



At four on the morning of the 2nd, Mr. Pullen 

 came on board accompanied by Mr. Shedden, whose 

 vessel had become surrounded by the pack. The 

 channel had cleared for us beautifully, the wind was 

 alike favom'able, having veered to the southward, and 

 we were therefore happy enough to hurry on to the 

 northern extreme of Point Barrow, which is also the 

 northernmost point of America. Here we anchored 

 for examhiation and observation, and Mr. Pullen and 



