TO kotzebue's sound. 203 



patent meat. This meat is well adapted for ex- 

 cursions in a boat, as it is contained in tin boxes, 

 and therefore extremely portable. After we had 

 sufficiently refreshed ourselves, we observed two 

 boats, of the same kind as those in the Aleu- 

 tian islands, each with one man in it, approach us 

 with the greatest rapidity from the opposite shore. 

 They came within fifty paces, when they left 

 off rowing, observing us with attention, commu- 

 nicating all their remarks to each other, and at 

 last began to count us. All our endeavours to en- 

 tice the Americans, by friendship, and by things 

 which we showed them, to come on shore, were 

 useless ; they hit their heads with both their 

 hands, and then fell down, as if dead, probably, to 

 give us to understand, that their lives were not 

 safe in our vicinity. It should seem that they are 

 not acquainted with fire-arms, because they did not 

 keep out of gun-shot, though a number of muskets 

 were standing near us. The clothing of the Ame- 

 ricans consisted of the entrails of whales, their 

 appearance was extremely filthy, and their counte- 

 nances had an expression of cruelty. After they 

 had observed us for a long time, and with much 

 distrust, they threw two darts towards their habit- 

 ations, probably a signal agreed upon ; but we 

 continued our course to the east. The many sand- 

 banks, wliich are formed by the current, and the 

 current itself, hindered us much in our researches, 

 as we could proceed only one mile in three hours ; 



