PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 411 



argali, which has been seen near Cook's River. By chap. 

 the time I had collected these names, our visiters s«^ Y ^ 

 had become impatient to join their comrades, who s «p*- 

 in like manner, rinding them a long time absent, 

 had become equally anxious on their account, and 

 had quitted the boat in search of them, and both 

 parties met upon deck to their mutual satisfaction. 

 Previous to their going away we made them several 

 useful presents of axes, knives, combs, &c. for which 

 they seemed thankful, and offered in return a few 

 skins, pointing at the same time to the south side 

 of the sound, where their habitations probably were, 

 intimating that if we went there they would give 

 us more. They then pushed off their baidars, rested 

 on their paddles for a minute, and made off as fast 

 as they could, to give us an idea of the swiftness of 

 their boat, which seems to be a favourite practice. 



Next day we revisited their abode, and found 

 that the price of every article had been raised several 

 hundred per cent., and that nothing of reasonable 

 value would induce them to part with either bows 

 or arrows ; so that our generosity of the preceding 

 day had not left any durable impression. 



Every visit to these parties furnished some new 

 insight into their manners, though it was but tri- 

 fling : on this occasion we witnessed a smoking 

 party in which the women and children partook 

 equally with the men. The pipe used on this occa- 

 sion was small, and would contain no more tobacco 

 than could be consumed at a whiff. To these in- 

 struments there were attached a pricker and a strip of 

 dog's skin, from the last of which they tore off a few 

 hairs, and placed them at the bottom of the bowl of 

 the pipe to prevent the tobacco, which was chopped 



