OF A NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. 



401. 



had received on board the ships, not one now remained; and a lamp and 1823. 

 cooking pot seemed all that her inhuman countrymen had left her, at least 

 of those things which could have been of any service to themselves. There 

 was at this time no food in the hut ; and the mild weather produced so con- 

 stant a dropping from the roof, that had I stayed much longer my own thick 

 clothing must have been wet through. I therefore requested the old man 

 to accompany me to his son's grave ; and when there proposed to him to put 

 the body out of the reach of dogs for the future, by burying it in the ground, 

 to which with many tears and thanks he willingly consented ; and I promised 

 to send, out on the following day to make preparations for that purpose. 

 When the old man lifted up his son's spear at the head of the grave, or 

 rather of the mound of snow containing his mangled remains, he burst into 

 a fresh flood of tears ; and frequently complaining of what the dogs had 

 done, repeated quite in an agony of grief the name of Piccooyak. A day 

 or two afterwards I went out according to my promise, and was accompanied 

 to the burial-place by the old man, who though he scrupulously avoided 

 touching the body, which was in a more mutilated state than ever, directed 

 that it should be laid on the back and with the head to the northward. Close 

 to the grave lay his spear, some buttons, a string or two of beads, and a small 

 drinking-cup, all which the old man begged us to deposit in the same manner 

 as before, but would by no means handle himself. He made no objection to 

 the body being covered with the soil, which was light ; but a day or two after- 

 wards, when I sent one of our gentlemen out to perform a similar office for the 

 remains of Keimooseuk, her relations objected to our doing so ; explaining that 

 when a body was thus buried, the stones ought to be arched over, so as not 

 to rest upon it, a method they intended, as they said, to adopt in the spring. 

 We had reason to believe, however, from the numerous human skulls found 

 near the huts in the summer, that at least in many instances no such trouble 

 is taken with the dead; so that by a combination of superstition, indolence, 

 and indifference, there can be no doubt that other animals besides dogs are 

 permitted not unfrequently to feast upon them. This old man however ex- 

 pressed no scruples of any kind ; was thankful and composed when the inter- 

 ment was completed ; and being afterwards supplied by us with some clothes 

 for himself and wife, removed to the ice with the rest and, as we afterwards 

 found, existed on the charity of some of the other Esquimaux. 



The account I gave of poor Kaga on my return to the ships, induced Captain Tues. 4. 

 Lyon to send out for her, with the hope of at least preserving her health, and 



3 f 



