1778* THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 40Q 



CHAP. IX. 



BEHAVIOUR OP THE NATIVES, THE TSCHUTSKI, ON SEEING 



THE SHIPS. INTERVIEW WITH SOME OF THEM. THEIR 



WEAPONS. PERSONS. ORNAMENTS. CLOTHING. WIN- 

 TER AND SUMMER HABITATIONS. THE SHIPS CROSS THE 



STRAIT, TO THE COAST OF AMERICA. PROGRESS NORTH- 

 WARD. CAPE MULGRAVE. APPEARANCE OF FIELDS OF 



ICE. SITUATION OF ICY CAPE. THE SEA BLOCKED UP 



WITH ICE. SEA-HORSES KILLED, AND USED AS PROVISIONS. 



THESE ANIMALS DESCRIBED. DIMENSIONS OF ONE OF 



THEM. CAPE LISBURNE. FRUITLESS ATTEMPTS TO GET 



THROUGH THE ICE AT A DISTANCE FROM THE COAST. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE FORMATION OF THIS ICE. ARRI- 

 VAL ON THE COAST OF ASIA. CAPE NORTH. THE PRO- 

 SECUTION OF THE VOVAGE DEFERRED TO THE ENSUING 

 YEAR. 



As we were standing into this bay, we perceived on 

 the north shore a village, and some people, whom 

 the sight of the ships seemed to have thrown into 

 confusion, or fear. We could plainly see persons run- 

 ning up the country with burdens upon their backs. 

 At these habitations, I proposed to land ; and accord- 

 ingly went with three armed boats, accompanied by 

 some of the officers. About thirty or forty men, 

 each armed with a spontoon, a bow, and arrows, stood 

 drawn up on a rising ground close by the village. 

 As we drew near, three of them came down toward 

 the shore, and were so polite as to take off their caps, 

 and to make us low bows. We returned the civility ; 

 but this did not inspire them with sufficient confi- 

 dence to wait for our landing ; for the moment we 

 put the boats ashore, they retired. I followed them 

 alone, without any thing in my hand ; and by signs 

 and gestures prevailed on them to stop, and receive 

 some trifling presents. In return for these, they gave 



