47^ cook's VOYAGE TO OCT. 



slender laths, and the covering of seal-skins. They 

 are about twelve feet long ; a foot and a half broad 

 in the middle ; and twelve or fourteen inches deep. 

 Upon occasion they can carry two persons ; one of 

 whom is stretched at full length in the canoe ; and 

 the other sits in the seat, or round hole, which is 

 nearly in the middle. Round this hole is a rim or 

 hoop of wood, about which is sewed gut skin, that 

 can be drawn together, or opened like a purse, with 

 leathern thongs fitted to the outer edge. The man 

 seats himself in this place, draws the skin tight round 

 his body over his gut frock, and brings the ends of 

 the thongs, or purse-string, over the shoulder to keep 

 It in its place. The sleeves of his frock are tied 

 round his wrists ; and it being close round his neck, 

 and the hood drawn over his head, where it is con- 

 fined by his cap, water can scarcely penetrate either 

 to his body or into the canoe. If any should, how- 

 ever, insinuate itself, the boatman carries a piece of 

 spunge, with which he dries it up. He uses the 

 double-bladed paddle, which is held with both hands 

 in the middle, striking the water with a quick regu- 

 lar motion, first on one side and then on the other. 

 By this means the canoe is impelled at a great rate, 

 and in a direction as straight as a line can be drawn. 

 In sailing from Egoochshak to Samganoodha, two or 

 three canoes kept way with the ship, though she was 

 going at the rate of seven miles an hour. 



Their fishing and hunting implements lie ready 

 upon the canoes, under straps fixed for the purpose. 

 They are all made, in great perfection, of wood and 

 bone ; and differ very little from those used by the 

 Greenlanders, as they are described by Crantz. The 

 only difference is in the point of the missile dart ; 

 which, in some we saw here, is not above an inch 

 long ; whereas Crantz says that those of the Green- 

 landers are a foot and a half in length. Indeed these 

 darts, as well as some other of their instruments, are 

 so curious that they deserve a particular description ; 



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