118 ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY IN ALASKA [ETH. ANN. 46 



Port Clarence, near 11 p. m., had but a little rest. The call came at 

 4 a. m. A little breakfast, a package of lunch, and start at 5.10. 



First note. Ship about 7 miles from Teller. Water deep enough 

 much nearer, but we came at night. Here there are already dark 

 nights between about 9 p. m. and 4 a. m., and so they were cautious. 



Second. The officer says he has orders not to stop at Teller, where 

 there is an old Indian (Dunak) from whom I expected to get exact 

 bearings, and where there is also a white trader, Mr. Peterson, who 

 knows the place and might possibly have accompanied us. 



Third. Distances, as usual, longer than estimated. We find even- 

 tually that the destination is about 32 miles from Teller. 



Fourth. A brisk head wind and sea retarding us. 



Fifth. As we approach our spot, a shoal water, with grass, prevent- 

 ing us from going straight to the most likely place, and no other way 

 was tried. It is 11 a. m. and already I hear an intimation that we 

 shall not have time for anything except to make a lunch. This is 

 the same officer, a very good man at his post but rigid and without 

 much interest in anything else than his own field, who after 10 

 miles' trip to Kotzebue gave us 25 minutes there, when it required 

 15 minutes alone to reach the school from the boat. 



So we end by landing on the extremity of a spit there to make 

 lunch, and I have only the time it takes to prepare the latter. I find, 

 in hurry, remains of five old semisubterranean dwellings on the 

 northern side of the point, and about as many low mounds with 

 remnants about of rotten driftwood — undoubtedly old burials. 

 Probably the skeletons have been assimilated by the tundra vege- 

 tation and blown material. A single native skull, a female, without 

 face, is lying about. Collected. 



While lunch is being made ready the officer and the boatswain. 

 Mr. Berg, each shoot a duck. Then the lunch, a hurried loading, 

 and departure, after some delay in setting the sail, at 1.30 p. m, I 

 saw nothing that looked like a battle field. Its determination and 

 survey must be left for some future explorer. 



Sail rapidly. Wind fresh, with us, also waves. Cross Salt Lake, 

 and Tussoc " River."' About 4.30 reach Grantly Harbor and wind 

 increases; also waves. We run fast, and well enough, but the 

 umiak (skin boat) we are pulling begins to suffer. It rides crazily 

 and is jerked over the seething waves. The crossbar by which it is 

 partly held breaks, and now the boat goes more sidewise, with water 

 lapping over its border and getting in. Wind now quite a gale, 

 breaking waves everywhere — every now and then a big one — white- 

 caps all over. A dim view of Teller in distance, when the skin 

 boat begins to fill more rapidly and sag. Must stop engine — waves 

 toss us like mad — one could be thrown bodily out of the boat if 



