TO kotzebue's sound. 211 



They are very expert traders, liaggle obstinately, 

 always consult together, and are infinitely happy 

 when they fancy they have cheated any body. 

 Some old women, who were in their baydares, 

 understood bargaining still better. There was so 

 much laugliing and joking during the trading, that 

 it appeared as if we were surrounded by the lively 

 South Sea islanders, instead of the serious inhabit- 

 ants of the north. Their arms consist of lances, 

 bows, arrows, and a knife, two feet long, in a 

 sheath ; this military equipment, which they never 

 lay aside, proves that they are in constant wars 

 with other nations. Their lances, which are of 

 iron, very well wrought, resemble those which the 

 Russians have sold to the Tschukutskoi ; the glass 

 beads, also, with which they adorn themselves, are 

 of the same kind as those worn in Asia, which 

 proves that they must be in commercial intercourse 

 with that continent. 



At seven o'clock, a faint wind arose from the 

 south, of which 1 immediately took advantage, 

 weighed anchor, and steered up to the strait. The 

 Americans, who had followed us in their baydares, 

 pointed to their skins, giving us to understand by 

 signs, that we should find plenty of them at the 

 place where we were now going ; one of them fre- 

 quently repeating the words Janni-o-d ! and point- 

 ing sometimes to the ship, and sometimes to the 

 entrance. The latitude of our anchoring-place, 

 according to the ship's reckoning, was 66° 42' 30'\ 



p 2 



