RUSSIANDISCOVERIES. 34^ 



clifts of rocks ; towards evening they come to the fliore 

 in fearch of food; they have long ago extirpated the 

 brood of mice, and other fmali animals. Thej are not 

 in the fmalleft degree afraid of the inhabitants, but dif- 

 tinguifli the Ruffians by the fcent ; having experienced 

 the efFe6ls of their fire-arms. The number of fea-ani- 

 mals, fuch as fea-lions, fea- bears, and lea-otters, which 

 refort to thefe fhores, are very confiderable. Upon ibme 

 of the iflands warm fprings and native fulphur are to be 

 found. 



The Fox-iflands are in general very populous ; Una- So^^^'f [1,^ 

 laflika, which is the largeft ifland, is fuppofed to contain 

 feveral thoufand inhabitants. Thefe favages live together 

 in feparate communities, compofed of fifty, and fome- 

 times of two or even three hundred perfons ; they dwell 

 in large caves from forty to eighty yards long, from fix. 

 to eight broad, and from four to five high, The roof of 

 thefe caves is a kind of wooden grate, which is firft fpread 

 over with a layer of grafs, and then covered with earth. - 

 Several openings are made in the iop, through M'hich 

 the inhabitants go up and down by ladders : the fmalleft 

 dwellings have two or three entrances of this fort, and 

 the largeft five or fix. Each cave is divided into a certain 

 number of partitions, which are appropriated to the feve- 

 ral families ; and thefe partitions are marked by means 

 of flakes diiven into the earth. The men and women fit 



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