THE INNUIT AND WHITE MAN'S GRAVES. 



123 



* Most of the female portion of those on board had each a really 

 beautiful ornament upon their head, bent like a bow, and extend- 

 ing from points just forward and below the ears up over the top 

 of the head. At the apex it was one inch wide, tapering down to 

 half an inch at the extremities, and it looked and glistened in the' 

 bright sun like burnished gold. There were two fastenings to 

 this ornament — a string of variously-colored beads going under 

 the chin as a bonnet-tie, also one passing down behind the ears at 

 the back of the neck and head. It struck me that this was not 

 only a beautiful ornament to the Esquimaux women, but would 

 also be to ladies at home. 



Before Artarkparu came on board he was very anxious to 

 make well secure some drift timber he had found. One piece was 

 a ship's deck-plank, probably a part of the English whaling ves- 

 sel Traveller, wrecked in Bear Sound in 1858. This vessel was 

 about 500 tons, and was lost by getting upon the rocks, when, the 

 tide leaving her high and dry, she rested amidships upon a crag- 

 gy point, and so broke her back. Her anchors, oil tanks, and 150 

 fathoms of chain were said to be still lying there. 



In the evening I conversed with Kokerzhun about her father's 

 death. She was deeply interested at the many particulars I men- 

 tioned, and I was surprised to find her so intelligent and com- 

 paratively accomplished. She was, withal, really handsome, but 

 retiring and ladylike. She understood several words of the En- 

 glish language, and was very solicitous of acquiring more knowl- 

 edge of it. She and her husband were invited for the night into 

 the cabin, where Mate Gardiner gave them up his berth, and, my 

 wrappers answering for coverlets, they were soon asleep. The 

 next morning we arrived at our anchorage, and I soon returned 

 to my quarters on board the George Henry. 



That evening I landed for a walk, and about half a mile from 

 the beach I found a white man's grave — a mound of sand — at the 

 head of which was an inscription cut upon a raised wood tablet, 

 and reading literally as follows : 



DIED, 



ON THE 31 ST JULY, 1857, 



WILLIAM JAMES, aged 28 tears, 



SEAMAN, P. H. D., ON BOARD THE 

 S. SHIP INNUIT, OP P. H: D., 

 J. H. SUTTER, 

 COMMANDER. 



