Bkdlkka] WHITER^ TRIP ON YUKON 61 



good bit recovered, and that bit is very striking. (See p. 156.) Also 

 a cut bone (clean cut, as if by a sharp knife) in situ in the mud 

 of the bank, and a little birch-bark basket still filled with mud from 

 the bank, with later a larger basket of same nature in situ; could 

 save but a piece. Conditions puzzling. Was there an older site 

 under one more recent ? 



2 p. m. About 2 p. m. go to the cemetery. About a dozen burials 

 recognizable. A pest of mosquitoes and gnats — Lawrence soon 

 bleeds over face and neck, while I keep them off only by frequent 

 smearing. He soon has to smear, too. Open five graves — placed 

 above ground, wooden (split and no nails) boxes covered with earth 

 and sod. Skeletons all in contracted position, head to the east and 

 lying on right side. Some in poor condition. Three women, one 

 man, one child. Gnats swarm in the moss and the graves, and with 

 the smears, here and there a trickle of blood, the killed pests and 

 the dust, we soon look lovely. But there is enough of interest. 

 With each burial appears something — with the man two large blue 

 Russian beads; first woman — a pottery lamp (or dish), iron knife; 

 witli the second two fire sticks, stone objects (sharpeners), partly 

 decayed clay dish ; with the third, a Russian bead and a birch-bark 

 snuffbox; with the child a "killed" (?) glass bottle of old form 

 and an iron flask; in the grave of an infant (bones gone) a Russian 

 bead. A grave of a child — bones burned. 



6.15 p. m. Rest must be left. Lawrence may be enabled to do 

 some work in the fall. Leave 6.15; carry quite a lot — in sacks, gaso- 

 line cans, lard cans. Wonder how I shall be able to send things from 

 Holy Cross, and what next. Cool, sky overcast whole day. 



Holy Cross 



Thursday', July 1. Slept on the floor of a little store last night 

 at Ghost Creek. The Catholic mission at Holy Cross, with all sorts 

 of room, about iy 2 miles down, and where, though late and tired, I 

 visited Father Jules Jette. a renowned student of the dialects of the 

 Yukon Indians, did not offer to accommodate me, and the trader in 

 their village could only offer me a " bunk " in one little room with 

 three other people. So after 10 p. m. we went down to the "Ghost 

 ('reek.' 1 where I was gladly given a little corner in the store of Alec 

 Richardson. Of course there were whining dogs outside, right next 

 to the store on both sides, and they sang at times (or howled) like 

 wolves, whose blood they seem to carry. And a cat got closed in with 

 me and was pulling dried fish about, which she chewed, most of the 

 night it seemed. So there was not much sleep until from about 5 

 a. in. to 8.30, after the cat was chased out and the dogs got weary. 

 Then no breakfast till near 9.30. 



