THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 401 



tural J bur, like the others, they fpeak (Irongly and diftinft, 

 in words which feem fentenccs. 



I have before obferved, that they are in poflcflion of iron ; 

 that is, they have the points of their fpears and knives of 

 this metal ; and fome of the former are alfo made of copper. 

 Their fpears are like our fpontoons; and their knives, which 

 they keep in fheaths, are of a confiderable length. Thcfc 

 with a few glafs beads, are the only things we faw amongft 

 them that were not of their own manufacture. I have al- 

 ready offered my conjc^ftures from whence they derive their 

 foreign articles ; and fliall only add here, that, if it were 

 probable that they found their way to them from fuch of 

 their neighbours with whom the Ruffians may have efla- 

 bliflied a trade, I will be bold to fay, the Ruffians them- 

 felves have never been amongft them : for if that had been 

 the cafe, we fhould hardly have found them clothed in fuch 

 valuable flcins as thofe of the fea-otter. 



There is not the leaft doubt, that a very beneficial fur 

 trade might be carried on with the inhabitants of this vaft 

 coaft. But unlefs a Northern paffage fliould be found prac- 

 ticable, it feems rather too remote for Great Britain to re- 

 ceive any emolument from it. It muft, however, be ob- 

 ferved, that the mod valuable, or rather the only valuable 

 fkins, I faw on this Weft fide of America, were thofe of the 

 fea-otter. All their other iTcins feemed to be of an inferior 

 quality ; particularly thofe of their foxes and martins. It 

 muft alfo be obferved, that moft of the fkins, which we pur- 

 chafed, were made up into garments. However, fome of 

 thefe were in good condition ; but others were old and ragged 

 enough ; and all of them very loufy. But as thcfe poor 

 people make no other ufe of fkins but for clothing them- 



VoL. II. 3 F felvcs, 



