, THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 437 



hollowing and opening their arms as they advanced. This, '7/8' 

 we underftood, was to exprefs their pacific intentions. At 

 length fome approached near enough to receive a few trifles 

 that were thovvn to them. This encouraged the reft to ven- 

 ture along-fide ; and a traffic prefently commenced between 

 them and our people ; who got drelTes of fkins, bows, ar- 

 rows, darts, wooden vefTds, e?c. j our vifuers taking in 

 exchange for thefe whatever was offered them. They 

 feemed to be the fame fort of people that we had of late 

 met with all along this coaft ; wore the fame kind of orna- 

 ments in their lips and nofes; but were far more dirty, and 

 not fo well clothed. They appeared to be wholly unac- 

 quainted with people like us ; they knew not the ufe of 

 tobacco; nor was any foreign article fcen in their pofTef- 

 fion, unlcfs a knife may be looked upon as fuch. This,, 

 indeed, was only a piece of common iron fitted in a wooden 

 handle, fo as to anfwer the purpofe of a knife. They, how- 

 ever, kncw^ the value and ufe of this inftrument fo well, 

 that it feemed to be the only article they wifhed for. Mofl 

 of them had their hair fliaved, or cut fliort off, leaving only 

 a few locks behind, or on one fide. For a covering for the 

 head they wore a hood of fl^ins, and a bonnet which ap- 

 peared to be of wood. One part of their drefs, which we 

 got from them, was a kind of girdle, very neatly made of 

 Ikin, with trappings depending from it, and paffing be- 

 tween the legs, fo as to conceal the adjoining parts. By 

 the ufe of fuch a girdle, it fhouid feem that they fome- 

 times go naked, even in this high latitude; for they hardly 

 wear it under their other clothing. 



The canoes were made of Ikins, like air the others we 

 had lately feen ; only with this difference, that thefe were 

 broader, and the hole in which the man fits, was wider 



6>' than 



