NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 159' 



Other purpofes. On lignifying our wants to the natives, ^ ^^^ ^• 

 they brought il-s a plentiful fupply of excellent firewood, 



which we purchafed for nails and buttons. December.^, 



'■•I^fr'^he forenoon of the 5th, the carpenters having Tuefdays- 

 fihillied decking the long-boat, fhe Was hoifted out, arid 

 fome hands employed in rigging and getting her ready to 

 go down to Queen Charlotte's Bay. 



Numbers of fliarks were about the fliip,. four or five 

 of which we caught, and after taking out the livers they 

 were given to the Indians, who thought them very accept- 

 able prefents, particularly the old priell, who got two" of 

 the largeft, and having ordered them to be carefully lafhed 

 in his canoe, was goino; to fend them on fhore. On this 

 occafion a very remarkable circumftance happened ; jufl 

 as the prieft's canoe got a-ftern of the fhip, one of the 

 fharks not being fecurely faftened, fell out of the canoe, 

 and funk to the bottom in eleven fathoms water ; at the 

 fame time there were feveral large hungry ones fwimming 

 about, yet an Indian went down with a rope, llung the 

 dead fhavk, and afterwards hauled him into his canoe, 

 without any apparent fear of the others that furrounded 

 him. I found that fharks were efteemcd valuable, as they 

 anfvver a variety of purpofes ; they ialt the fliark, and 

 feem very fond of it, the flcin ferves for a cover to their 

 drum-heads, and the teeth thev fix in wooden inftruments 

 which they ufe as knives. 



The natives continued to bring us wood, hogs, and 

 vegetables, aiid vaft numbers viiited th^ fliips to gratify 

 their curiofity : thofe vv^ho had no canoes \'(ould fvvim from 



the 



