Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/303

Rh were deep water holes among the loose rocks fallen from the cliffs, large blocks of pure white ice were seen adhering to the bottom. Yet at noon this day the thermometer stood at 71° in the shade, and rose to 88° when exposed to the sun's rays. It was the hottest day of the brief Arctic summer. We encamped in a chasm or narrow valley intersecting the cape. Here we found the caches of six tents of Esquimaux, containing a quantity of blubber, some stone kettles and lamps, a variety of utensils, besides the spoils of musk-cattle, reindeer, seals, and white foxes. A striped cotton shirt, almost new, was wrapped up and preserved with especial care. Most of these things were placed on a shelf in the rock, about forty feet high, and inaccessible to any quadruped. They had formed a ladder with their sledges to attain this place of security. Though we examined their repositories on this and other occasions, in order to form an idea of their manner and means of living, we made a point of scrupulously replacing everything as we found it; and usually added any articles we could spare of our own, as an evidence of our good-will towards them. Like most of the others, this party had probably wintered upon islands—the most favourable situations for seal-hunting; and had lately T