a'u uft. cIoath'n&- One would reafonably fuppofe, that the Ikins of large
,— J hearts, as bears, wolves, &c. would be held in the greateft eftima-
tion as eloaths by thefe people : this, however, is not the cafe, the
greater part wearing cloaks made of marmot-lkihs, very neatly
fewed together, one cloak containing perhaps more than one hun-,
dred Ikins : it is moft likely that their women’s time is principally
taken up in employments like thefe. Belides the fea- otter, here are
bears, wolves, foxes, racoons, marmots, or field mice, mufquafh,
ermine, &c. &c. but the marmot and fox leeni to be in the greateft
plenty. The trade thefe people are fondeft of for their ikins, is
toes, and light blue beads, fcarcely any other fort (though we had
a very great variety ) being taken the leaft notice of.
In their perfons, thefe people are o f a middle fize, and well proportioned;
their features appear regular, but their faces are fo
bedaubed with dirt and filth, that it is impoffible to fay what fort
of complexion they have. That perfon feems to be reckoned the
gieateft beau amongft them, whole face is one entire piece of fmut
and greale, and his hair well daubed with the fame compofition.
Their nofe and ears are ornamented with beads, or teeth, if they
cannot procure any thing elfe : they have likewife a long flit cut in
the under lip, parallel with the mouth, which is ornamented much
in the fame manner with the nofe and ears ; but this I could ob-
ferve was always in proportion to the perfon’s wealth. We faw
only one woman, and the people with her behaved with great
civility, and attended her with great refpeft 1 her face, contrary to
the general cuftom, was tolerably clean, and her complexion and
features far from difagreeable; indeed I have often feen much
worfe-looking women in England. Their ftnall canoes are fo con-
ftrufted, as to hold but one, or at moft two perfons ; and both
thefe and the large ones are covered with ikins. It poflibly may
be in my power, before the conclufion of our Voyage, to give thee
a farther account of thefe people; if fo, thou mayeft depend on i t :
in the mean time, let me proceed with our tranfaftions..
I have obferved, that the afternoon of the 12 th was fine, and the
weather continuing favourable, we- weighed anchor at four o’clock
in the morning of the 13 th of Auguft, having a fine leading breeze
and clear weather. We flood down the river to the Eaft North
Eaft, leaving the Barren Elands to the Southward.
Before noon we were clear of Cook’s River, and our deftination
being for Prince William’s Sound, we flood to the North Eaft, at
about two leagues diftance from the ihore. At noon, the Norther-
moft part of the Continent bore North Eaft by North and Sugar
Loaf Ifland (one of the Barren Blands) South Weft. Towards the
evening our breeze died away, and during the night, we had light
baffling winds.
During the former part of the 14th, we kept ftanding along the
Ihore, latitude at noon 59 deg. 6 min. North. In the afternoon,
the weather grew cloudy and hazy. At four o’clock we tacked, and
flood to the North Weft, but being uncertain how we were fitu-
ated in regard to the pafiage into Prince William’s Sound, at eight
we again tacked, and flood off Ihore till twelve o’clock.
On the 15th we had light airs, with hazy weather. We had loft
fight of the land, but at two o’clock we again faw it, bearing from
North North Weft to Weft North Weft. On founding we found
bottom with 103 fathom line, mud and clay.
Light