PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 339 



the two capes is ten miles ; but Saritcheff Island 

 lies immediately before the opening, and we are in- 

 formed by Kotzebue, that the channel, which is on j T 8 u Jj' 

 the northern side of it, is extremely intricate and 

 narrow, and that the space is strewed with shoals. 

 The island is low and sandy, and is apparently 

 joined under water, to the southward, to the strip 

 of sand before mentioned as extending along the 

 coast : we noticed upon it a considerable village of 

 yourts, the largest of any that had as yet been seen. 

 The natives appear to prefer having their dwellings 

 upon this sandy foundation to the main land, pro- 

 bably on account of the latter being swampy, which 

 is the case every where in the vicinity of this inlet 

 and Kotzebue Sound. Several of them taking ad- 

 vantage of the calm came off in baidars, similar to 

 those used by the St. Lawrence Islanders, though 

 of inferior workmanship. The people, however, 

 differed from them in many respects ; their com- 

 plexion was darker, their features were more harsh 

 and angular, they were deficient in the tattooing of 

 the face ; and what constituted a wider distinction 

 between them was, a custom, which we afterwards 

 found general on the American coast, of wearing 

 ornaments in their under lips. Our visiters were 

 noisy and energetic, but good-natured, laughed 

 much, and humorously apprized us when we were 

 making a good bargain. 



They willingly sold every thing they had, except 

 their bows and arrows, which they implied were re- 

 quired for the chase on shore ; but they could not 

 resist " tawac" (tobacco) and iron knives, and ulti- 

 mately parted with them. These instruments dif- 

 fered from those of the islanders to the southward, 



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