NORTHERN OCEAN. 
159 
manner. There was fcarcelya manamong them 1771. 
who had not a thruft at her with hisfpear; and 
many in doing this, aimed at torture, rather 
than immediate death, as they not only poked out 
her eyes, but flabbed her in many parts very re- 
mote from thofe which are vital. 
It may appear ftrange, that a perfon fuppofed to 
be almoft blind fhould be employed in the bufi- 
nefs of fifhing, and particularly with any degree 
of fuccefs ; but when the multitude of fifh is taken 
into the account, the wonder will ceafe. Indeed 
they were fo numerous at the foot of the fall, 
that when alight pole, armed with a few fpikes, 
which was the inftrument the old woman ufed, 
was put under water, and hauled up with a jerk, 
it was fcarcely poffible to mifs them. Some of 
my Indians tried the method, for curiofity, with 
the old woman’s ftaff, and feldom got lefs than 
two at a jerk, fometimes three or four. Thofe 
fifth, though very fine, and beautifully red, are but 
fmall, feldom weighing more (as near as I could 
judge) than fix or feven pounds, and in general 
much lefs. Their numbers at this place were al- 
moft incredible, perhaps equal to any thing that 
is related of the falmon in Kamfchatka, or any 
other part of the world. It does not appear that 
the Efquimaux have any other method of catch- 
ing the fifh, unlefs it be by {pears and darts; for 
no appearance of nets were difcovered either at 
their tents, or on any part of the fhore. This is 
the cafe with all the Ef{quimaux on the Weft fide 
of 
July. 
