NELSON] SUMMER CAMPS—RUINS 263 
Just north of Cape Lisburne three or four winter houses were seen, 
but it could not be determined whether they were occupied. 
Near Icy cape were several summer camps of Point Barrow people. 
They were living in conical lodges, many of which were covered with 
canvas taken from wrecked whaling vessels. In front of each camp 
was erected a stout post from 12 to 20 feet high, notched on the sides 
for convenience in climbing. Near the top was a crossbar, used as a 
seat or perch. The coast in this part of the district is very flat and 
low, and these posts are used as lookout points whence the people are 
able to see the “ blowing” of whales or the approach of ships. As we 
passed by the shore each post was usually occupied by a man who 
waved his shirt to induce us to stop. 
From here to Point Barrow were several similar summer camps of 
from two to ten lodges each. At Point Barrow the winter houses were 
of the ordinary half-underground type with a long, tunnel-like entrance 
way; scarcity of driftwood had necessitated the use of whale ribs and 
jawbones in framing these houses. At this point the storehouses for 
meat were built very nearly in the style of the winter houses, except 
that the only entrance was by a trapdoor in the roof, so that they 
were really half-underground cellars. 
Near the winter houses were platforms 6 to 8 feet above the ground, 
on which were stored spears, nets, and various hunting and household 
paraphernalia, At the time of our visit in August the inhabitants 
were living in conical lodges. 
RUINS 
Ruins of ancient Eskimo villages are common on the lower Yukon and 
thence along the coast line to Point Barrow. On the Siberian shore 
they were seen from Hast cape along the Arctic coast to Cape Wanka- 
rem. Various circumstances prevented the recording of more than a 
few superficial notes in regard to them, which are here inserted for the 
purpose of bringing them to the attention of future workers in that 
region. On the shore of the bay on the southern side of St Michael 
island I dug into an old village site where saucer-shape pits indicated 
the places formerly occupied by houses. The village had been burned, 
as was evident from the numerous fragments of charred timbers mixed 
with the soil. In the few cubic feet of earth turned up at this place 
were found a slate fish knife, an ivory spearhead, a doll, and a toy dish, 
the latter two cut from bark. The men I had with me from the village 
at St Michael became so alarmed by their superstitious feelings that 
I was obliged to give up the idea of getting further aid from them in 
this place. I learned afterward that this village had been built by 
people from Pastolik, at the mouth of the Yukon, who went there to 
fish and to hunt seals before the Russians came to the country. 
On the highest point of Whale island, which is a steep islet just off- 
shore near the present village of St Michael, were the ruins of a 
