OF THE POLAR SEA. 



97 



Two days before liis death I was surprised 

 to observe him sitting for nearly three 

 hours, in a piercingly sharp day, in the 

 saw-pit, employed in gathering the dust, 

 and throwing it by handfuls over his body, 

 which was naked to the waist. As the 

 man was in possession of his mental facul- 

 ties, I conceived he was performing some 

 devotional act preparatory to his departure, 

 which he felt to be approaching, and in- 

 duced by the novelty of the incident, I went 

 twice to observe him more closely ; but 

 when he perceived that he was noticed, he 

 immediately ceased his operation, hung 

 down his head, and, by his demeanour, in- 

 timated that he considered my appearance 

 an intrusion. The residents at the fort 

 could give me no information on the sub- 

 ject, and I could not learn that the Indians 

 in general observe any particular ceremony 

 on the approach of death. 



November 15. — The sky had been over- 

 cast during the last week; the sun shone 

 forth once only, and then not sufficiently 

 for the purpose of obtaining observations. 



VOL. I. H 



