322 



A VOYAGE TO 



'7/s. which clearly points out their dependance upon them; 

 though perhaps they do not catch them in great plenty 

 at all feafons ; which fecmed to be the cafe while we lay 

 there, as no great number of frefli ikins, or pieces of the 

 flefli, were feen. 



The fame might, perhaps, be faid of the land-animals, 

 which, though doubtlcfs the natives fomecimes kill them, 

 appeared to be fcarce at this time ; as we did not fee a fmgle 

 piece of the flefli belonging to any of them ; and though 

 their fldns be in tolerable plenty, it is probable that many 

 of thefe are procured by traffic from other tribes. Upon 

 -the whole, it fccms plain, from a variety of circumftances, 

 that thefe people procure almoft all their animal food from 

 the fca, if we except a few birds, of which the gulls Or 

 fea-fowl, which they fhoot with their arrows, are the mod 

 material. 



As the Canadian pine-branches and fea-grafs, on which 

 the fifli roe is flrewed, may be confidered as their only win- 

 ter-vegetables ; fo, as the fpring advances, they make ufe 

 of feveral others as they come in fcafon. The moft com- 

 mon of thefe, which we obferved, were two forts of lilia- 

 ceous roots, one fimply tunicatcd, the other granulated 

 upon its furface, called mcibkatie and kooh^uoppn, which have 

 a mild fweetilli tafle, and are mucilaginous, and eaten raw. 

 The next, which they have in great quantities, is a root 

 called abeita, refcmbling, in tafte, our liquorice ; and an- 

 other fern root, whofe leaves were not yet difclofcd. They 

 alfo eat, raw, another finall, fweetifli, infipid root, aboUt 

 the thicknefs of farjiiparllla ; but we w«re ignorant of the 

 plant to which it belongs ; and alfo of another root, which 

 is very large and palmated, which we faw them dig up near 



J the 



