1 72 ^journal of a Voyage through the 



number of spars, which are covered with spruce bark; 

 and the whole attached and secured by the fibres of the 

 cedar. One of the gable ends is closed with split boards ; 

 the other with poles. Large rods are also fixed across 

 the upper part of the building, where fish may hang and 

 dry. To give the walls additional strength, upright posts 

 are fixed in the ground, at equal distances, both within 

 and without, of the same height as the wall, and firmly 

 attached with bark fibres. Openings appear also between 

 the logs in the wall, for the purpose, as I conjectured, 

 of discharging their arrows at a besieging enemy; they 

 would be needless for the purpose of giving light, which 

 is sufficiently afforded by fissures between the logs of the 

 building, so that it appeared to be constructed merely for 

 a summer habitation. There was nothing further to at- 

 tract our attention in or about the house, except a large 

 machine, which must have rendered the taking off the 

 roof absolutely necessary, in order to have introduced it. 

 It was of a cylindrical form, fifteen feet long, and four 

 feet and an half in diameter : one end was square, like 

 the head of a cask, and a conical machine was fixed in- 

 wards to the other end, of similar dimensions ; at the 

 extremity of which was an opening of about seven inches 

 diameter. This machine was certainly contrived to set 

 in the river, to catch large fish ; and very well adapted to 

 that purpose ; as when they are once in, it must be im- 

 possible for them to get out, unless they should have 

 strength sufficient to break through it. It was made of 

 long pieces of split wood, rounded to the size of a small 

 finger, and placed at the distance of an inch asunder, on 

 six hoops ; to this was added a kind of boot of the same 

 materials, into which it may be supposed that the fish are 

 driven, when they are to be taken out. The house was 

 left in such apparent order as to mark the design of its 

 owners to return thither. It answered in every particular 

 the description given us by our late guide, except that it 

 was not situated on an island. 



We left this place, and steered South by East one mile 

 and quarter when we passed where there had been another 

 house, of which the ridge-pole and supporters alone re- 

 mained : the ice had probably carried away the body of 

 it. The bank was at this time covered with water, and a 

 small river flowed in on the left. On a point we observed 

 an erection that had the appearance of a tomb \ it was in 



