1^8 A V O Y A G E T O 



1777- they keep time, the boat is puflied along pretty fwiftly. 

 y.J '!"''' '^ Their fail, which is feldom ufed, is made of a mat of a 

 triangular fliape, having the broadefl part above. 



The only method of drefling their fifli, is by roafling, or 

 rather baking; for they are in' i rely ignorant of the art of boil- 

 ing. In the fame manner they drefs the root, and part of 

 the ftalk, of the large fern-tree, in a great hole dug for that 

 . purpofe, ■which ferves as an oven. After which they fplit 

 it, and find, witliin, a fine gelatinous fubftance, like boiled 

 fngo powder, but firmer. They alio ufe another fmaller 

 fern root, which feems to be their fubftitute for bread, as it 

 is dried and carried about with them, together with dried 

 fifh in great quantities, when they remove their famiHes, 

 or go far from home. This they beat with a flick till it 

 becomes pretty foFt, v,'hen they chew it fufficiently, and 

 fpit out the hard fibrous part, the other having a fweetifh 

 mealy tafle not at all difagrecable. 



When they dare not venture to fea, or perhaps from 

 choice, they fupply the place of other fifh with mufcles and 

 fea-ears ; great quantities of the fliells of which lie in 

 heaps near their houfes. And tliey fometimes, though 

 rarely, find means to kill rails, penguins, and fliags, which 

 help to vary their diet. They alfo breed confiderable num- 

 bers of the dogs, mentioned before, for food ; but thefe 

 cannot be confidered as a principal article of diet. From 

 whence we may conclude, that, as there is not the leafl 

 fign of cultivation of land, they depend principally for their 

 fubfiflence on the fca, which, indeed, is very bountiful in^ 

 its fupply. 



Their method of feeding correfponds with the naftinefs 

 of their perfons, v^'hich often fmell difagreeably from the 



quantity 



