6 2 
SPENCER’S JOURNAL 
altogether, mama-quisa-orla 1 (apparently no similar term for 
girls); brother’s son, yamena markup father’s brother, tau 
wessa ; brother’s daughter, yamena mai-kippa\ father’s father, 
ushu. 
Afternoon at notes and Spanish. Jean got ‘scraper’ along 
bank of river. 
May i8 y Saturday . Fine calm day. Morning till 12, 
Spanish. 12.45 P* m *5 on little cutter with Ken and Jean 
some four or five miles up the Sound to little cove where 
landed. Beech Forest lined with bank of dead beech leaves; 
very rough travelling, roots seem to trail along the ground. 
Little bridge over the creek broken away. 
Dug about four feet into old kitchen midden in search of 
two skeletons of men whom Ken knew were buried there. 
These two were drowned. Four Yaghans and two children 
were out in boat. Two men began fighting and boat 
capsized. These men were drowned, but woman, George’s 
present wife Shibnaui-naua-laka-kippa , swam ashore with her 
youngest child. Bodies of two drowned men washed on shore 
later, and buried at this place in a kitchen midden. These 
bodies had been placed in a rough coffin, and evidently when 
recovered were decomposed, because coffin was only four 
feet long, and much too small to hold two adult bodies. 
Burial not in native Yaghan fashion; always buried lying on 
back with head towards west. To our disappointment, the 
skeletons had evidently been removed, and only traces were 
frontal bone of one skull, very soft and decayed, and two rib 
bones. Whole midden and grave very sodden with water. 
Shells of midden were as usual largely mussels, with a few 
volutes and patellas. A few seal bones. Only rounded stones, 
and no chipped ones of any kind. One peg on the surface of 
the ground indicated the position of the feet underneath. 
Back to Rio Douglas at four. Sun setting. Snow 
1 Queried in margin of A. Cf. May 21, 29. 
