482 AVOYAGETO 



„ >77^- the fliips amply fupplied with wood ; and had carried on 



September, i r / ri 



' ' board about twelve tons of water to each. 



Monday i4. On the 14th, a party of men were fent on fliore to cut 

 brooms, which we were in want of, and the branches of 

 fpruce- trees for brewing beer. Toward noon, every body 

 was taken on board ; for the wind, frefhening, had raifed 

 fuch a furf on the beach, that the boats could not continue 

 to land without great difficulty. Some doubts being Hill 

 entertained, whether the coaft we were now upon be- 

 longed to an ifland, or the American continent ; and the 

 fhallownefs of the water putting it out of our power to de- 

 termine this with our fhips, I fent Lieutenant King, with 

 two boats under his command, to make fuch fearches as- 

 might leave no room for a variety of opinions on the fub- 



Tuafday 15. jq^ *^ Ncxt day, the fhips removed over to the bay, which 



is 



fometimes to a frightful cripple belonging to the family, and fometimes to her child. 

 1 purchafed all the fifh they had, confirting of very fine falmon, falmon-trout, and 

 mullet} which were delivered mod faithfully to the man I fent for them. The man 

 was about five feet two inches high, and well made ; his colour, of a light copper j 

 his hair black and fhort, and with little beard. He had two holes in his under-lip, 

 but no ornaments in them. The woman was fhort and fquat, with a plump round 

 face i wore a deer-fkin jacket with a large hood ; and had on wide boots. The teeth 

 of both were black,, and feemed as if they had been filed down level with the gums,. 

 The woman was pundured from the lip to the cl:in." 



♦ Captain King has been fo good as to communicate his inftruilitfons on this occa- 

 fion, and the particulars of the fatigue he underwent, in carr}'ing them into execution : 



" You are to proceed to the Northward as far as the extreme, point we faw oiv 

 *« Wednefday laft, or a little further, if you think it nccelTary ; land there, and cn- 

 " dcavour, from the heights, to difcovcr v/hether the land you are then upon, fup- 

 " pofcd to be the ifland of Alafchka, is really an ifland, or joins to the land on the 

 " Eaft, fuppofed to be the continent of America. If the former, you are to fatisfy 

 ♦* yourlclf with the depth of water in the channrl between them, and which way the 

 *,' flood-tide comes. But if you find the two lands connected, lofc no lime in found- 

 " ing ; but make the bcft of your way back to the (hip, which you will find at anchor 

 " jicar the point of land we anchored under on P'riday laft. If you perceive any likcli- 



" hood 



