274 ORNAMENTED SKULL. 



thing like the poke of a lady's bonnet, but more 

 pointed. Inside, all the centre of the house, for about 

 a third of its width, was kept quite clear, forming a 

 noble covered promenade. It was rather dark, as the 

 only light proceeded from the doors at the end, and 

 the little side doors between the cabins. Near the 

 centre, on one side, was a pole, reaching from the 

 floor to the roof, on which was a kind of frame- work 

 covered with skulls ; of these Dr. Whipple brought 

 away four, two of which he gave Captain Blackwood, 

 who has presented them to the College of Surgeons. 

 They were very curiously ornamented with a wooden 

 projection inserted for the nose, black protruding 

 lumps of gum, like short horns, in the sockets of the 

 eyes, at the end of which were broad red seeds, and 

 the mouth and lower jaw was smeared over with 

 black gum, in which were stuck seeds, both red and 

 white. On the base of the skull was fastened a 

 handle of twisted cane, by which it was suspended 

 upon the frame, but what was the form or nature of 

 this frame there was too little light, and much too 

 little time, to determine. We heard muskets fired 

 outside, and shouting, and went to see what was the 

 matter, but found it was only another pig shot, and 

 one of the crew T , an Irishman, with a rich brogue, 

 in excessive glee in consequence. At the edge of 

 the wood, behind the small houses, we found the 

 first pig lying dead, with five balls through him, 

 and directed both to be taken to the boats. One or 

 two paths led into the woods here, rudely covered 

 with sticks and planks and branches of trees, evi- 



