wooden mafks, darts, thread made of finews and reindeer
hair, which they get from the country of Alafka.
Their houfhold uteniils are fquare pitchers and large,
troughs, which they make out of the wood driven afhore
Arms. b y the fea. Their weapons are bows and arrows pointed
with flints, and javelins of two yards in length, which
they throw from a fmall board. Inftead of hatchets they
ufe crooked knives of flint or bone. Some iron knives,
hatchets, and lances, were obferved'amongft them, which
they had probably got by plundering the Ruffians.
According to the reports of the oldeft inhabitants of
Umnak and Unalalhka, they have never been engaged
in any war either amongft themfelves or with their
neighbours, except once with the people of Alalhka, the
occafion of which was as follows : The Toigon of Um-
nak’s fon had a maimed hand ; and fome inhabitants of
Alalhka, who came upon a vifit to that ifland, fattened
to his arm a drum, out of mockery, and invited him ter
dance. The parents and relations of the boy were offended
at this infult: hence a quarrel enfued ; and from
that time the two people have lived in continual enmity,
attacking and plundering each other by turns. According
to the reports of the iflanders, there are mountains
upon Alafhka, and woods of great extent at fome distance
from the coaft. The natives wear clothes made of
the
ó
the fkins of reindeer, wolves, and foxes, and are not
tributary to any of their neighbours. The inhabitants
of the Fox-iflands feem to have no knowledge of any
country beyond Alafhka.
Feafts are very common among- thefe iflanders; and
more particularly when the inhabitants of one ifland are
vifited by thofe of the others. The men of the village
meet their guefts beating drums, and preceded by the
women, who fing and dance. At the conclufion of the
dance the hofts invite them to partake of the feafts-; after
which- ceremony the former return firft to their dwellings,
place mats in order, and ferve up their heft pro-
viftoe. The guefts next enter, take their places, and
after they are fatisfied the diverfions begin.
Firft, the children danee and caper, at the fame time
making a noife with their fmall drums, while the owners
of the hut of both fexes fing. Next, the men dance
almoft naked, tripping after one another, and beating
drums' of a larger liz-e : when thefe are weary, they are
relieved by the women, who- dance in their clothes, the
men- continuing in- the mean time to fing and beat their
drums. At laft the fire is put out, which had been kindled
for the ceremony. The manner of obtaining fire is
by rubbing two pieces of dry wood, or molt commonly by
ftriking two flints together, and letting the fparks fall
Z 2 upon
Feafh.-