EXTEACTS. 313 



arrows at the moment he rises ; though it often happens that this wary and cun- 

 ning animal escapes from the danger whicli surrounds him. 



" It has been observed, in the account already given of the otter, that when 

 they are overtaken with their young ones, the parental affection supersedes all 

 sense of danger ; and both the male and female defend their offspring with the 

 most furious courage, tearing out the arrows and harpoons fixed in them with 

 their teeth, and oftentimes even attacking the canoes. On these occasions, how- 

 ever, they and their litter never fail of yielding to the power of the hunters. 

 The difficulty of taking the otter might indeed occasion some degree of surprise 

 at the number of the skins which the natives appear to have in use, and for the 

 purposes of trade. But the circumstance may be easily accounted for, by the 

 constant exercise of this advantageous occupation : scarce a day passes, but num- 

 bers are eagerly employed in the pursuit of it. 



" The seal is also an animal very difficult to take, on account of its being 

 able to remain under water. Artifices are therefore made use of to decoy him 

 within reach of the boats ; and this is done in general by the means of masks of 

 wood made in so exact a resemblance of nature, that the animal takes it for one 

 of his own species, and falls a prey to the deception. On such occasions, some 

 of the natives put on these masks, and hiding their bodies with branches of trees 

 as they lie among the rocks, the seals are tempted to approach so near the spot, 

 as to put it in the power of the natives to pierce them with their arrows. Simi- 

 lar artifices are employed against the sea-cow, &c. The otters, as well as some 

 of the land animals, are, we believe, occasionally taken in the same manner. 



" The ver}^ preparation for the business of hunting and fishing, requires no 

 small portion of domestic employment. Their harpoons, lines, fish-hooks, bows 

 and arrows, and other implements necessary in the different pursuits of peace 

 and war, must make a very great demand upon their time. The inge- 

 nuity of these people in all the different arts that is necessary to their support 

 and their pleasure, is matter of just admiration to the more cultivated parts of 

 the globe. Nature, that fond and bounteous parent to her children of every kind, 

 has left none of them Avithout those means which are capable of producing the 

 relative happiness of all. But the most laborious, as well as most curious em- 

 ployment in which we saw the natives of Nootka engaged, (for we had no oppor- 

 tunity of seeing them construct one of their enormous houses,) was the making 

 of their canoes ; which was a work of no common skill and ability. These boats 

 are, many of them, capable of containing from fifteen to thirty men, with ease 

 and convenience ; and at the same time are elegantly moulded and highly fin- 

 ished ; and this curious work is accomplished with utensils of stone, made by 

 themselves. 



" They even manufactured tools from the iron which they obtained from 

 us; and it was very seldom that we could pursuade them to make use of 

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