and it remains on ly to be decided, from what q u a r te r
they had got our manufactures, by intermediate conveyance.
And there cannot be thç leail doubt o f their
ha vin g received thefe articles,' through the intervention o f
the more inland tribes, from Hudfon’s Bay, or the fettle-
ments on the Canadian lakes | unlefs it can be fuppofed
(which however is lefs lik e ly ) that the Ruffian traders, from
Kamtichatka, have already extended their traffic thus fa r ;
or at leail that the natives o f their m o l Eafterly Fox Iflands
communicate a long the coaft, w ith thofe o f Prince William’s
Sounds."
As to the copper, thefe people feem to procure it them-
felves, or at moil it pafies throu gh few hands to them ; for
the y Ufed to exprefs its being in a fufficient quantity amongft
them, when they offered any to barter, b y pointing to their
weapons ; as i f to fay, that having fo m u ch o f this me tal
o f their own, they wanted no more.
It is, however, remarkable, i f the inhabitants o f this
Sound be fupplied with European articles, by w a y o f the
intermediate traffic to the Eait coaft, that they ihould, in return,
never have giv en to the more inland Indians any o f
* There is a drcumftance mentioned by Müller,- in his. account o f Beering’ s voyage
to the coaft o f America in 17.41, which feems to decide this queftion, His
people found iron at the Schumagin Iflands, as may be fairly prefumed from the fo llowing
quotation. “ U n feul homme ayoit un couteau pendu à fa ceinture, qui parut
“ fort fingulier à nos gens par fa figure. . I l étoit long de huit pouces,et fort épais, &
“ large à l ’endroit où devoit être la pointe. O n ne peut favoir quel étoit Tüfage de
cet outil.” Découvertes des Ruffes, p. 274.
I f there was iron amongft- the natives on this part o f thè American coaft, prior to
the difcovery o f it b y the Ruffians, and before there was any traffic with them carried
on from Kamtfchatka, what reafon can there be to make the leaft doubt o f the people
o f Prince William’ s Sound, as well as thofe o f Schumagin’ s Iflands, having got this
metal from the only probable fource, the European fettlements on the North Eaft coaft
o f this continent ?
their
their fea-otter ik in s ; w hich would certainly have been feen,
fome time or other, about Hudfon’s Bay. But, as fa r as I
kn ow , that is not the cafe ; and the on ly method o f accountin
g for this, muft be b y tak ing into confideration the ve ry
great diftance; w hich, though it might; not prevent European
goods coming fo far, as b e in g fo uncommon, might
prevent the ikins, w hich are a common article, from paff-
in g throu gh more than two or three different tribes, who
m igh t ufe them fo r their own -c lo th in g ; and fend others,
w h ich they efteemed lefs valuable, as b e in g o f their own
animals, Eaftward, till they reach the traders from Europe,