NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 28J 



After this long ceremony was over, the chief made ^ ^^^^ ^• 

 me a prefent of half a fea-otter fkin, but did not produce *- — ^— — » 

 any thing for fale ; giving me to underftand at the fame Auguit. 

 time that he muft go on fhore before any traffic could be °" ^^^°' 

 carried on. After flaying there fome time (which I ap- 

 prehend was taken up in afforting their furs) he returned 

 with his party ; and now I expedled our trade to begin in 

 good earneft ; but in this I Was again difappointed ; for 

 the iinging again commenced, and by way of varying our 

 araufement, the chief appeared in diifexent characters 

 during the time his people were finging ; and always 

 changed his drefs when he varied his character ; in doing 

 of which fome of his companions held up a large mat, by 

 way of fcene, to prevent us from feeing what was going 

 on behind the curtain. At one time he appeared in the 

 character of a warrior, and feemed to have all the favag;e 

 ferocity of the Indian conqueror about him. He fhewed 

 us the manner in which they attacked their enemies, their 

 method of fighting, and their behaviour to the vanquifhed 

 enemy. He next affumed the character of a woman, and 

 to make his imitation more complete, he wore a ma/k, 

 which reprefented a woman's face with their ufual orna- 

 ments ; and indeed it fo exactly refembled a woman's face, 

 that I am pretty certain it was beyond the reach of Indian 

 art, and muft certainly have been left by the Spaniards in 

 their laft vifit to this part of the coaft. 



After this entertainment was over (with which it was 

 neceifary for us to appear pleafed), the chief and fome 

 of his people came on board, and trade at laft commenced 

 between us. In the courfe of the day I bought twenty- 

 five pieces of tolerably good fea-otter, equal to about ten 



O o 2 whole 



