PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 333 



object; and with the women, needles and scissors; chap. 

 but with both, blue beads were articles highly w^ 

 esteemed. We observed, that they put some of {^ 

 these to the test, by biting them to ascertain whe- 

 ther they were glass ; having, perhaps, been served 

 with wax ones by some of their former visiters. 



Their implements were so similar to those of the 

 Esquimaux as to need no description ; except that 

 their bows partook of the Tschutschi form. They 

 had a great many small birds of the alca crestatella, 

 strung upon thongs of hide, which were highly ac- 

 ceptable to us, as they were very palatable in a pie. 

 These birds are, I believe, peculiar to St. Lawrence 

 Island, and in proceeding up the strait their pre- 

 sence is a tolerably certain indication of the vicinity 

 of the island. They are very numerous, and must 

 be easily taken by the natives, as they sold seven 

 dozen for a single necklace of blue glass beads. 



About seven o'clock in the evening, the natives 

 quitted us rather abruptly, and hastened toward the 

 shore, in consequence of an approaching fog which 

 their experience enabled them to foresee sooner than 

 us, who, having a compass to rely upon, were less 

 anxious about the matter. We soon lost sight of 

 every distant object, and directed our course along 

 the land, trying the depth of water occasionally. 

 The bottom was tolerably even ; but we decreased 

 the soundings to nine fathoms, about four miles off 

 the western point, and changed the ground from 

 fine sand, to stones and shingle. When we had 

 passed the wedge-shaped cliff at the north-western 

 point of the island, the soundings again deepened, 

 and changed to sand as at first. 



At night the fog cleared away for a short time, 



