180 National Geographic Magazine. 
for one side of the house, the other side of the semicircle has 
been built up with flat stones, laid up like bricks in masonry, but 
without mortar. Moss and soil have been in all probability used 
here instead of mortar, but years of fierce winds have blown it 
out from the crevices. The structure is conic in shape, after 
the manner of a Greenlander’s snow-hut. This one is about 
seven feet in diameter. Facing its entrance is a smaller house of 
similar construction, most’ likely used as a shelter for game. 
Winter storms have crumbled away the roofs of both so that 
they have fallen in, and the fragments of stones are partially cov- 
ered with soil. The whole bears the impression of age, and no 
natives have been found who have ever heard of it. From the 
summit of this peak a splendid view is obtained of the surround- 
ing country, the Arctic ocean, and herds of passing reindeer. 
Gold has been found near the Pitmegea, at the head of the 
same creek and tributary, it being contained in sulphurets of 
iron, which exist in large quantities in that vicinity, there being 
from $3.50 to $8.00 worth of gold in a ton ; the country is all but 
impassable, however, and this, together with the shortness of the 
season, would prevent any mining with profit. 
Our party returned from the Pitmegea with a few ptarmigan 
and ducks, and upon our arrival the ship was at once gotten under 
way and we stood to the northward for Point Barrow. Drift- 
ice was constantly passed, but fortunately so scattered as not to 
form any obstruction to free navigation. 
On the next day we enjoyed a superb Arctic summer’s day, and 
began to fall in with the whaling fleet on the way north to Point 
Barrow. Fifteen vessels were sighted and passed, most of them 
vessels under sail. Rounding the dangerous Blossom shoals and 
the Icy cape of .Captain Cook, we stood to the northeast, finding 
generally clear water, with scattered drift-ice. Upon the floes 
we found great quantities of walrus, in some cases stretched 
at full length, sound asleep. One huge fellow remained so undis- 
turbed at our approach that he was supposed to be dead, but 
a well aimed Irish potato aroused him so rudely that he 
quickly slid off the floe and disappeared beneath the water. 
Pushing on we passed Pt. Belcher at 9.30 in the evening, in the 
fog and rain, and came to heavy masses of ice over which a low 
fog had settled. With some delay and difficulty we worked out 
of both the fog and the ice and at five o’clock in the morning 
