our winter station, we began to entertain doubts as to the
correctness of our observation[280]. It is at least certain that the
inhabitants of Pitlekaj exclusively bury their dead by laying them
out on the _tundra_.

Regarding the man, buried or exposed in this way, whom Johnsen found
on the 15th October, Dr. Almquist, who himself visited the place the
next day, makes the following statement--

[Illustration: PLAN OF A CHUKCH GRAVE. (After a drawing by A.
Stuxberg.) ]

"The place was situated five to seven kilometres from the
village Yinretlen, near the bottom of the little valley
which runs from this village in a southerly direction into
the interior. The body was exposed on a little low knoll
only two fathoms across. It was covered with loose snow,
and was not frozen very hard. When it was loosened there
was no proper pit to be seen in the underlying snow and
ice. The corpse lay from true N.N.W. to S.S.E., with the
head to the former quarter. Under the head lay two black
rounded stones, such as the Chukches use in housekeeping.
Besides these there was no trace of anything underlying or
covering the corpse. The clothes had been torn by beasts of
prey from the body, the back was quite untouched, but the
face and breast were much wasted, and the arms and legs
almost wholly eaten up. On the knoll evident traces of the
wolf, the fox, and the raven were visible. Close to the
right side of the corpse had lain the weapons which Johnson
had brought home the day before. Near the feet was found a
sledge completely broken in pieces, evidently new and
smashed on the spot. Not far off, we found lying on the
snow pieces of a _pesk_ and of foot-coverings, both new and
of the finest quality. Beasts of prey had undoubtedly torn
them off and pulled them about. On the knoll there were
found besides five or six other graves, distinguished by
small stones or a wooden block lying on the even ground.
Two of the graves were ornamented by a collection of
reindeer horns. The severe cold prevented me from
ascertaining whether these stones concealed the remains of
buried corpses. I considered that I might take the Chukch's
head, as otherwise the wolves would doubtless have eaten it
up. It was taken on board and skeletonised."

In the spring of 1879, after the snow was melted, we had
further opportunities