468 cook's voyage to oct. 



Some fix beads to the upper lip, under the nostrils, 

 and all of them hang ornaments in their ears. 



Their food consists of fish, sea-animals, birds, 

 roots, and berries ; and even of sea-weed. They dry 

 large quantities of fish in summer, which they lay up 

 in small huts for winter use ; and, probably, they 

 preserve roots and berries for the same time of scarcity. 

 They eat almost every thing raw. Boiling and broil- 

 ing were the only methods of cookery that I saw them 

 make use of; and the first was probably learnt from 

 the Russians. Some have got little brass kettles ; 

 and those who have not, make one of a flat stone, 

 with sides of clay, not unlike a standing pye. 



I was once present when the chief of Oonalashka 

 made his dinner of the raw head of a large halibut 

 just caught. Before any was given to the chief, two 

 of his servants eat the gills, without any other dress- 

 ing, besides squeezing out the slime. This done, one 

 of them cut off the head of the fish, took it to the 

 sea and washed it ; then came with it, and sat down 

 by the chief; first pulling up some grass, upon a part 

 of which the head was laid, and the rest was strewed 

 before the chief. He then cut large pieces off the 

 cheeks, and laid these within the reach of the great 

 man, who swallowed them with as much satisfaction 

 as we should do raw oysters. When he had done, the 

 remains of the head were cut in pieces, and given to 

 the attendants, who tore off the meat with their teeth, 

 and gnawed the bones like so many dogs. 



As these people use no paint, they are not so dirty 

 in their persons as the savages who thus besmear 

 themselves ; but they are full as lousy and filthy in 

 their houses. Their method of building is as follows: 

 They dig in the ground an oblong square pit, the 

 length of which seldom exceeds fifty feet, and the 

 breadth twenty ; but in general the dimensions are 

 smaller. Over this excavation, they form the roof of 

 wood which the sea throws ashore. This roof is co- 

 vered first with grass, and then with earth ; so that 



