292 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



wooding party were on fhore y at thefe times they would 

 place themfelves in a line, and begin finging and making 

 Aifguii. motions all the time the men were at work ; and if their 

 Tuefday 21. j^pQ^gj-y happened to pleafe the people, and make them 

 laugh, they all immediately joined in a loud burft of 

 laughter ; and when the Indians were not there, they 

 would affift the people in getting wood and taking it to 

 the boats. They were particularly ufeful in taking the 

 wood from the beach through the furf to the boat, as 

 they were not encumbered with fhoes and ftockings; and 

 it faved the men from wetting themfelves. But if at any 

 time the Indians came to them at the time when they were 

 thus making themfelves ufeful, they would inflantly drive 

 them all away with very little ceremony. Upon fuch 

 occalions as thefe, I ufed to give the people fmall bright 

 buttons to make them prefents, with which their pride 

 and ambition were highly gratified. One time, not having 

 an opportunity of fending the boat on fhore at the ufual 

 hour, to fetch the wooding-party on board, the women 

 gave them an invitation to their habitations, which was 

 about three hundred yards from the place where they were 

 at work ; and upon this 'occafion treated them (or offered 

 to do it) with every thing their wretched habitations af- 

 forded, and behaved very kindly to them. Their huts are 

 made of a few boards, which they take away with them 

 when they go to their winter quarters. It is very furprifing 

 to fee how well th^y will fhape their boards with the 

 fliocking tools they employ ; fome of them being full ten 

 feet long, two feet and a half broad, and not more than an 

 inch thick. 



The 



