ESQUIMAUX MASK. 229 



winter dwelling were situated, his summer tent being 

 more centrally deposited. 



The soil is peaty and boggy in some parts, marshy 

 in others, and all was now saturated with moisture ; 

 the beach w^as shelving, composed of sand and shingle; 

 few shells were to be found, and those all scraps and 

 fragments. 



In addition to the hide rope, I purchased a wooden 

 mask, wdiich was a ludicrous imitation of the 

 " human face divine," in the Esquimaux variety. 

 During the day we had bartered for many other 

 curious trifles, skin dresses of all kinds, from the 

 nicely trimmed frock of fawn to less inviting breeks 

 of seal-skin, labrets and other ornaments, bones and 

 such like of walrus ivory. 



At nearly midnight on the 3rd, our kind friend 

 Shedden bade us adieu, as we started from Point 

 Barrow. We gave him three hearty cheers, and 

 parted with feelings of regret, which w'ould have been 

 much increased had we knowii that this was our last 

 farewell. This generous man, who with noble self- 

 disregard had adventured thus far into these dreary 

 regions to seek the gallant Franklin and his band, 

 vdth no other hope of reward than the approval of 

 his own conscience, and who, finding that he could 

 not expect to proceed much fm-ther, placed all his 



