“ September, and end in March, and then the foutherly winds be-
“ gin to blow.”
T h e account given by the commander o f the Cajlricom, concurs,
in a great meafure with the above, • The author o f the
Recueil de Voyages au Nord, vol. iv. has preferved the voyage. It
appears that the captain had landed in feveral places; that in Lat.
44° 30', he found the country very mountanous and high, covered
with lofty trees, many o f which were fit for mails; the
foil very clayey and wet, and near the fhores covered with brufh-
wood ; it was reported that there were feveral rich filver mines.
A c q u i e s . In Lat. 45° 10', at a place called Acquies, the land was very
high, and covered with trees-. The foil clayey, but producing
good fruits, fuch as mulberries, red and white goofeberries,
rafpberries, 8ec. alfo oaks and other kinds of trees, and in the
vallies lilies of a vail height. The rivers are bordered by ruihes,
and alfo with red rofes.
In Lat. 46° 30', he fell into a great gulph abounding with
falmon, the ihore was covered with vegetables, and had the appearance
o f the coafts o f England; but the natives neither cultivated
the ground, nor made any advantage o f their rich foil.
The moil northern part o f the range which he touched at on
this coail, was in Lat. 48° 50', where he found the land rife into
little hills cloathed with herbage ; and met with good anchorage,
in from 25 to 40 fathoms depth, with a bottom of fand.
N a t i v e » o f H e fpeaks in general of the inhabitants o f the coaft o f Jefo as
J e so . being ftrong and fquare made, fhort and grofs, their hair
and beard long, and the laft fo thick as almoft to cover their
whole face; their bodies likewife very hairy; the hair on the
a fore
fore part o f the head is fhaved. The features are tolerably good,
their eyes black, forehead flat, complexion yellow; both fexes
wear rings in their ears and on their fingers. Their drefs is of
the Japanefe fafhion ; fome is made of filk, others of fluff, and
others o f the ikins o f animals..
T h e i r houfes are built againft the Hope of a hill, conftructed
of planks, and covered with the bark of trees ; they are fup-
ported by the trunks, and have an hole at top to let out the
fmoke ; their fire-place is in the middle o f the floor ; their
doors fo low that they are obliged to creep in.- The only furniture
is matting made by the women ; to thefe add a cup and a
plate o f varnifhed ware for each individual in the family. In
fome refpeits the houfes refemble thofe o f Nootka Sounds and
are in groups of fifteen or twenty, each group about half a
league diftant from the other, and each feems to be peopled
with a kindred clan.
T h e c o m m o n f o o d o f t h e n a t iv e s is t h e la r d a n d o i l o f w h a l e s ,
f i t h , a n d a ll fo r t s o f v e g e t a b l e s , é fp ê c ia '% t h é f r f l i t o f r o f e s , W h ic h
a r e as la r g e a s m e d la r s , a n d b e in g d r ie d , a r e c o n f id e r e d as e x c e l l
e n t w i n t e r p r o v i f io n . N o tw i t h f t a n d in g t h i s , t h e y o f t e n d ie o f
c o ld o r f am in e , i t is c u f t o m a r y w i t h t h em to p u t t h e i r d e a d
in t o a c a f e , a n d c o v e r t h e m w i t h o y f t e r - f l i e l l s ; t h e f e a r e f u p -
p o r t e d b y f o u r p o f t s , p la c e d b e n e a t h h u t s n e a t l y m a d e .
T h e nativçs o f Matfumai ihew very few figns o f religion; nor
have they any idols. When they drink,, i f they are near the
fire, they pour a f e w drops, into it ; they alfo flick in their
chambers fome fmall rods with little flags at the end. I f a
N n 2 perfon
H o u s e s .
F o o d .
R e l i g io n