mens drefs is made of birds fkins, but the womens gf
fea-otters and fea-bears. Thefe fkins are died with a
fort of red earth, and neatly fewed with finews, and
ornamented with various firipes of fea-otter ikins and
leathern fringes. They have alfo upper garments made
of the inteilines of the largeft fea-calves and fea- lions.
Their Veflfels conftft of two forts: the larger are leathern
boats or baidars, which have oars on both iides,
and are capable of holding thirty or forty people. The
fmaller veflels are rowed with a double paddle, arid referable
the canoes of the Greenlanders, containing only
one or two perfons: they never weigh above thirty
pounds, being nothing but a thin ikeleton Of a boat
covered with leather. In thefe however they pafs from
one ifland to another, and even venture out to fea to a
confiderable diftance. In calm weather they go out in
them to catch turbot and cod with bone-hooks and lines
made of finews or fea-Wecd. They ftrike fifh in the
rivulets with darts. Whales and other fea-anifiials
thrown aihore by the waves are carefully looked after,
and no part of them is; loft. The quantity of provi-
iions which they procure by hunting and lifiring
being far too fmall for their Wants, the greateft part of
their food con frits of fea-wrack and fliell-frib, which
.they find on the fhofe.
No
No ft ranger is allowed to hunt or fifh near a village,
or to carry off any thing fit for food. When they are
oh a journey, and their provifions are exhaufted, they
beg from village to village, or call upon their friends
and relations for affiftauce.
They feed upon the flefh of all forts of fea-animals,
and generally eat it raw. But i f at any time they
choofe to drefs their victuals, they make ufe of an hollow
ftone ; having placed the frill or flefh therein, they
cover it with another, and clofe the interftices with
lime or clay. They then lay it horizontally upon two
Hones, and light a fire under it. The provifion which
is intended for keeping is dried without fait in the
open air. They gather berries o f various forts, and
lily roots of the fame fpecies with thofe which grow
wild at Kamtchatka. They are unacquainted with the
manner of drefling the cow-parfnip, as pracftifed in that
Peninfula; and do not underftand the art of diftilling
brandy or any other ftrong liquor from it. They are
at prefent very fond of fimff, which the Ruffians have
introduced among them.
No traces were found of any worfhip, neither did
they feem to have any forcerers * among them. If a
* In the laft chapter it is laid that there are forcerers among them.