1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 271 



tance. We returned, therefore, to the boat, and 

 passed the night on the beach, having brought a 

 tent with us for that purpose ; and the next day, by 

 the advice of our guides, crossed the bay, and went 

 to the head of Rakoweena Harbour. 



Having here secured the boats, we proceeded with 

 all our luggage on foot, and, after a walk of five or 

 six miles, came to the sea side, a league to the north- 

 ward of the Light-house Head. From hence, as far 

 as we could see toward Cheepoonskoi Noss, there is 

 a continued narrow border of low level ground 

 adjoining to the sea, which is covered with heath, 

 and produces great abundance of berries, particularly 

 those called partridge and crow-berries. We were 

 told, we should not fail to meet with a number of 

 bears, feeding upon these berries ; but that the 

 weather being showery, was unfavourable for us. 



Accordingly, we directed our course along this 

 plain ; and though we saw several bears at a distance, 

 we could never, with all our management, contrive 

 to get within shot of them. Our diversion was there- 

 fore changed to spearing of salmon, which we saw 

 pushing, in great numbers, through the surf into a 

 small river. I could not help observing, how much 

 inferior our Kamtschadales were at this method of 

 fishing, to the people at Oonalashka ; nor were their 

 instruments, although pointed with iron, near so 

 good for the purpose, nor to be compared in neat- 

 ness to those of the Americans, though pointed only 

 with bone. On inquiring into the reason of this 

 inferiority, I was informed by the corporal, who had 

 lived many years amongst the Americans, that for- 

 merly the Kamtschadales made use of the same kind 

 of darts and spears with the Americans, headed and 

 barbed with bone, and were not less dexterous in the 

 management of them than the latter. We could not 

 understand one another sufficiently for me to learn 

 the cause of this change ; probably it was one of the 

 not unusual effects of a forced and imperfect state 



