falmon, but they were of a very inferior kind to thofe we met with
in Cook’s River. Fifli, however, being the only frelh provifion in
■ our power to obtain, our whale-boat was frequently fent out with
fix hands to catch fifli for the fhip’s company; they were always
tolerably fuccefsful, catching great numbers of fine rock-fifh, and
fiome hake, but very few halibut.
Whether the method of fifhing here is the fame with that at
Port Mulgrave, I cannot fay, as we never had an opportunity of
feeing them at that employment. There are great quantities of
mufcles in fome parts of the found, together with a few crabs,
ftar-fifti, &c.
I endeavoured to make a calculation of the number of inhabitants
who refide in the found, and its environs ; the greateft number
I ever faw about the fhip at one time, was 175, including women
and children. Were I to eftimate thefe at half the number who
live here, it would perhaps not be far from the truth ; but fup-
pofing an allowance to be made for the aged and infirm, and for
thofe who were abfent, epgaged in hunting, fifhing, &c. I think
450 people will be the whole of the natives found here, taking th*
computation in its utmoft: extent, and including men, women, and
children.
Thefe people in their make, fhape, and features, are pretty much
the fame with thofe we faw in Port Mulgrave; their faces are alfo
painted with a variety of colours; the women, too, ornament, or
rather diftort rheir lips in the fame manner as I have already de-
fcribed; and it fhould feem, that the female who is ornamented
with the largeft piece of wood, is generally molt reflected by her
friends, and by the community in general.
This
18 7
This curious operation of cutting the under lip of the females, j e never
takes place during their infancy, but from every obfervation ,— ,— 1
I was able to make, feems confined to a peculiar period of life.
When the girls arrive to the age of fourteen or fifteen, the center
of the under lip, in the thick part near the mouth, is fimply perforated,
and a piece of copper wire introduced to prevent the aperture
from clofing 5 the aperture afterwards is lengthened, from time
to time, in a line parallel with the mouth, and the wooden ornaments
are enlarged in proportion, till they are frequently increased
to three, or even four inches in length, and nearly as wide, but this,
generally happens, when the matron is advanced in years, and con-
fequently the mufcles are relaxed; fo that poflibly old age may
obtain greater refpeft than this very fingular ornament.
The manners and difpofition of the people here, approach nearer
to thofe in Cook’s River, and Prince William’s Sound, than our
friends in Port Mulgrave; but this may, perhaps, m fome mea.-.
fure, be accounted for from their enlarged fociety, and their con-
ftant intercourfe with each other.
Their traffic, and indeed all their concerns, fo far as fell under
my obfervation, appear to be conduced with great order and regularity
; they conftantly came along-fide to trade with us at daylight
in the morning, and never failed to fpend more than half an
hour in finging before the traffic commenced. The Chief of the
tribe has always the entire management of*all the. trade belonging
to his people, and takes infinite pains to difpofe of their furs ad-
vantageoufly.
" Should a different tribe come along-fide to trade, whilft he is
trading, they wait with patience till he has done, and if in their
A a 2 opinion,