1778. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 299 



ing, in every thing they make of wood. Nothing is 

 without a kind of frieze-work, or the figure of some 

 animal upon it ; but the most general representation 

 is that of the human face, which is often cut out 

 upon birds, and the other monstrous figures men- 

 tioned before ; and even upon their stone and their 

 bone weapons. The general design of all these 

 things is perfectly sufficient to convey a knowledge of 

 the object they are intended to represent ; but the 

 carving is not executed with the nicety that a dex- 

 terous artist w r ould bestow even upon an indifferent 

 design. The same, however, cannot be said of many 

 of the human masks and heads, where they shew 

 themselves to be ingenious sculptors. They not only 

 preserve, with exactness, the general character of 

 their own faces, but finish the more minute parts 

 with a degree of accuracy in proportion, and neat- 

 ness in execution. The strong propensity of this 

 people to works of this sort, is remarkable, in a vast 

 variety of particulars. Small whole human figures ; 

 representations of birds, fish, and land and sea ani- 

 mals ; models of their household utensils and of 

 their canoes, were found amongst them in great 

 abundance. 



The imitative arts being nearly allied, no wonder 

 that, to their skill in working figures in their gar- 

 ments, and carving them in wood, they should add 

 that of drawing them in colours. We have some- 

 times seen the whole process of their whale-fishery 

 painted on the caps they wear. This, though rudely 

 executed, serves, at least, to shew, that though there 

 be no appearance of the knowledge of letters amongst 

 them, they have some notion of a method of com- 

 memorating and representing actions, in a lasting 

 way, independently of what may be recorded in their 

 songs and traditions. They have also other figures 

 painted on some of their things ; but it is doubtful 

 if they ought to be considered as symbols, that have 



