Several perfons indeed pafs for forcerers, pretending to
know tilings paft and to come, and are accordingly
held in high efteem, hut without receiving any emolument.
Filial duty and refpe£t towards the aged are
not held in eftimatien by thefe iflanders. They are
mot however deficient in fidelity to each other ; they
axe of lively and chearful tempers, though rather impetuous,
and naturally prone to anger.. In general they,
do not obferve any rules of decency, but follow all the
calls of nature publicly,, and without the leaft referve.
They wafh themfelves with their own urine.
The ir Food. Their principal food confifts in fifh and other
fea-animals, fmall Ihell-filh and fea-plants: their
greateft delicacies are wild lilies and other roots, together
with different kinds of berries. When they have
laid in a ftore of provifions, they eat at any time of the
day without diftindtion; but in cafe of neceflity they
are capable of falling feveral days together. They fel-
dom heat their dwellings.; but when they are defirous
of warming themfelves, they light a bundle of hay, and
Hand over i t ; or elfe they fet fire to tiain oil, which
they pour into a hollow Hone.
They feed their children when very young with the
coarfeft flelh, and for the moft part raw. If an infant
cries, the mother immediately carries it to the fea-fide,
and be it fummer or winter holds it naked in the water
ter until it is quiet. This cuftom is fo far from doing
the children any harm, that it hardens them againft
the cold ; and they accordingly go bare-footed through
the winter without the leaft inconvenience. They are
alfo trained to bathe frequently in the fea ; and it is
an opinion generallly received among the illanders, that
by that means they are rendered bold, and become fortunate'in
filhing.
The men wear fhirts made of the lkins of cormo- D,tfs
rants, fea-divers, and gulls ; and, in order to keep out
the rain, they have upper garments'of the bladders and
other inteftines of lea-lions, fea-calves; and whales,
blown up and dried. They cut their hair in a circular
form clofe to their ears ; and fhave alfo a round place
upon the top. The women, on the contrary, let the
hair defcend over the forehead as low as the eye-brows,
and tie the remaining part in a knot upon the top of
the head. They pierce the ears, and hang therein
bits of coral which they get from the Ruffians. Both
Texes make holes in the griftle, of the nofe, and in
the under-lips, in which they thruft pieces, of bone,
and are very fond of fuch kind of ornaments. They
mark alfo and colour their faces with different figures.
They barter among one another fea-otters, fea-bears,
clothes made of bird-fkins and of dried inteftines, lkins
of fea-lions and fea-calves for the coverings of baidars,
Z wooden