362 VOYAGE TO THE 



occasioned more merriment by his grimaces and lu- 

 dicrous behaviour than any of his predecessors. His 

 i826 St ' song was joined by the young women, who until 

 then had been mute and almost motionless, but who 

 now acquitted themselves with equal spirit with 

 their leader, twisting their bodies, twirling their 

 arms about, and violently rubbing their sides with 

 their garments, which, from some ridiculous associa- 

 tions no doubt, occasioned considerable merriment. 



Against an obscure part of the cliff near the village 

 we noticed a broad iron-headed halberd placed erect, 

 with several bows and quivers of arrows ; and near 

 them a single arrow, with a tuft of feathers attached 

 to it, suspended to the rock. The Esquimaux were 

 reluctant to answer our inquiries concerning this 

 arrangement, and were much displeased when we 

 approached the place. From the conduct of the 

 natives at Schismareff Inlet toward Captain Kotze- 

 bue, it is not impossible that the shooting of this 

 arrow may be a signal of hostility, as those people 

 after eying him attentively and suspiciously, pad- 

 dled quickly away, and threw two arrows with 

 bunches of feathers fastened to them toward their 

 habitations, whence shortly afterwards issued two 

 baidars, who approached Captain Kotzebue with 

 very doubtful intentions. 



Upon an eminence beyond this cliff we found 

 several dogs tethered to stakes ; and all the little 

 children of the village, who had perhaps been sent 

 out of the way, and who, on seeing us, set up a 

 general lamentation. 



After viewing this village we ascended Cape 

 Thomson, and discovered low land jetting out from 

 the coast to the W. N. W. as far as the eye 



