THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 37? 



but was fufpedled to be one of thofe which change then- co- '778. 

 lour, with the feafon, and with their migrations. At this 

 time, it was of a duflcy brown colour, with a reddifh tail ; 

 and the fuppofed male had a large yellow fpot on the 

 crown of the head, with fome varied black on the upper 

 part of the neck; but the laft was on the breaft of the 

 female. 



The only fifli we got, were fome torfk and halibut, which 

 were chiefly brought by the natives to fell ; and we caught 

 a few fculpins about the fhip ; with fome purplifli (lar-fifli, 

 that had feventeen or eighteen rays. The rocks were ob- 

 ferved to be almoft deftitute of fhell fifli ; and the only other 

 animal of this tribe feen, was a red crab, covered with fpines 

 of a very large fize. 



The metals we faw were copper and iron ; both which, 

 particularly the latter, were in fuch plenty, as to conftitute 

 the points of moft of the arrows and lances. The ores, with 

 "which they painted themfelves, were a red, brittle, undluous 

 Qchre, or iron-ore, not much unlike cinnabar in colour; a 

 bright blue pigment, which we did not procure ; and black 

 lead. Each of thefe feems to be very fcarce, as they brought 

 very fraall quantities of the firft and lall, and feemed to 

 keep them with great care. 



Few vegetables of any kind were feen ; and the trees 

 which chiefly grew here, were the Canadian and fpruce 

 pine, and fome of them tolerably large. 



The beads and iron found amongft thcfe people, left no 

 room to doubt, that they muft have received them from 

 fome civilized nation. We were pretty certain, from cir- 

 cumftances already mentioned, that we were the firft Euro- 

 peans with whom they had ever communicated dirccTtly ; 



3 C 2 and 



