JAN. 1770 QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND 211 



the high foretops in England, I was forward to declare it 

 as my opinion that these were much the handsomest women 

 we had seen upon the coast ; but upon their near approach I 

 was convinced that nothing but the head-dress had misled 

 me, as I saw not one who was even tolerably handsome. 



After dinner we went in the boat towards a cove about 

 two miles from the ship. As we rowed along, some- 

 thing was seen floating upon the water, which we took to be 

 a dead seal. It proved, to our great surprise, to be the body 

 of a woman, who seemed to have been dead some time. We 

 left it, and proceeded to our cove, where we found a small 

 family of Indians, who were a little afraid of us, as they all 

 ran away but one. They soon, however, returned except an 

 old man and a child, who stayed in the woods, but not out 

 of sight of us. Of these people we inquired about the body 

 we had seen. They told Tupia that the woman was a 

 relation of theirs, and that instead of burying their dead, 

 their custom was to tie a stone to them, and throw them 

 into the sea, which stone they suppose to have been un- 

 loosened by some accident. 



The family were employed, when we came ashore, in 

 dressing their provisions, which were a dog, at that time 

 buried in their oven. Near by were many provision baskets. 

 Looking carelessly upon one of these, we by accident observed 

 two bones pretty cleanly picked, which, as appeared upon 

 examination, were undoubtedly human bones. 



Though we had from the beginning constantly heard the 

 Indians acknowledge the custom of eating their enemies, we 

 had never before had a proof of it, but this amounted almost 

 to demonstration. The bones were clearly human ; upon 

 them were evident marks of their having been dressed on 

 the fire ; the meat was not entirely picked off them, and 

 on the gristly ends, which were gnawed, were evident marks 

 of teeth ; and they were accidentally found in a provision 

 basket. On asking the people what bones they were, they 

 answered : " The bones of a man." " And have you eaten 

 the flesh ?" " Yes." " Have you none of it left ? " " No." 

 " Why did you not eat the woman whom we saw to-day in 



