1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 309 



plant, unscraped, is exceedingly prejudicial to the 

 health, and produces the most sudden and terrible 

 nervous effects. 



Besides these, KrascheninicofF mentions a variety 

 of other plants, from whence the inhabitants prepare 

 several decoctions ; and which, being mixed with 

 their fish, make palatable and wholesome ragouts. 

 Such as the h'vpri *, with which is brewed a pleasant 

 common beverage ; and, by boiling this plant and 

 the sweet herb together, in the proportion of one to 

 rive of the latter, and fermenting the liquor in the 

 ordinary way, is obtained a strong and excellent 

 vinegar. The leaves of it are used instead of tea-; 

 and the pith is dried and mixed in many of their 

 dishes; the morkovait which is very like angelica; 

 the kotkoricat, the root of which they eat indiffer- 

 ently, green or dried ; the ikoum § ; the utchichlei ||, 

 which is much eaten with fish ; with many others. 



It is said, that the Kamtschadales (before their 

 acquaintance with fire-arms), poisoned their spears 

 and arrows with the juice of the root of the zgate % ; 

 and that wounds inflicted by them are equally 

 destructive to land and marine animals. The Tschut- 

 ski are reported to use the same drug for this 

 purpose at present. 



I shall conclude this part of the natural history of 

 Kamtschatka with an account, from the same author, 

 of three plants, which furnish the materials of all 

 their manufactures. The first is the triticum radice 

 perenni spiculis binis lanuginosis **, which grows in 

 abundance along the coast. Of the straw of this 

 grass they make a strong sort of matting, which they 

 use not only for their floors, but for sacks, bed-clothes, 



* Epilobium. t Chcerophyllum seminibuslevibus. 



J Tradescantiajructu molli edulo. 

 § Bistortajbliis ovatis, oblongis, accuminatis. 

 || Jacobeajbliis cannabis. Steller. 

 ^J Anemonoides et ranunculus. 

 ** Gmel. Sib. torn. i.p. 119. Tab. XXV. 



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