NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 253 



their provifions, and, for want of fait, have no other way ^ ^^ ^' 



of curing their winter flock of fifli than drying it in the ' — ' 



fun; their fre£h fiili they generally roaft, by running fome jJiy^ 

 fticks through to fpread it, and clapping it up before the "*^ ^^^'* 

 iire. Their animal food they generally drefs in bafkets or 

 wooden veiTels, by putting to it red hot ftones until the 

 victuals are dreffed enough ; and it is furpriling how quick 

 they drefs their provifions in this way. 



During the fumraer feafon they lead a flrange wander- 

 ing life, and the {belter they live under in bad weather, 

 when from home, is either their canoes or fmall fheds, 

 made of a few flicks covered witK a little bark ; their 

 winter habitations are alfo very ill made and inconvenient;, 

 thofe I have feen are not more than from four to fix feet 

 high, about ten feet long, and about eight feet bf ad, built 

 with thick plank, and the crevices filled up with dry mofs ; 

 and in thofe houies they generally flow very thick. The 

 method they ufe in making plank is, to fplit the trees with 

 wooden or flone wedges ; and I have feen a. plank twenty 

 or twenty-five feet long, fplit from a tree by their method. 



Their weapons for war are fjpears of fixteen or eighteen' 

 feet long, headed with iron ; bows and arrows, and long . 

 knives ; all of which they are amazingly dexterous in 

 ufing. Their fifhing implements are wooden hooks, with 

 lines made of a fmall kind of rockweed, which grows to a- 

 confiderabJe length,- and will hold a good flrain, if kept 

 clear of hinks, and properly moiflened. With thefe hooks 

 and lines they catch halibut and cod ; falmon they catch 

 in wiers, or fpear them ; and herring I believe they catch 

 with fmall nets: the implements with which they kill 



9 the- 



