1778.] COOK BEACHES UNALASHKA. 155 



Bering's voyage; but this he found, almost always, impossible, 

 though he assigned many of the names therein mentioned to spots 

 which seemed to correspond, in some respects, with those so called 

 by the Russians. 



Whilst this survey was in progress, particularly at Prince Wil- 

 liam's Sound, the ships were frequently visited by the natives of the 

 surrounding country, who appeared to be of a different race from 

 those seen farther south. They were as thievish as the Nootkans, 

 though apparently less ferocious and revengeful ; and Cook gives 

 several examples of their extraordinary apathy and indifference, 

 which appears, from all subsequent accounts, to be their most 

 remarkable characteristic. They, also, were well acquainted with 

 the use of iron and copper, of which metals, particularly of copper, 

 they possessed knives, or spear-heads, rudely made. Among them 

 were likewise found many ornaments made of glass beads, which 

 were evidently of European manufacture : yet the English could 

 not learn that they had ever had direct intercourse with any civilized 

 nation ; and Cook very justly concluded that the Russians " had 

 never been among them, for, if that had been the case, we should 

 hardly have found them clothed in such valuable skins, as those of 

 the sea otter." 



Proceeding south-westward from Cook's River, along the western 

 side of the peninsula of Aliaska, the English, on the 19th of June, 

 fell in with a group of small islands, near the 55th parallel, which 

 appeared to correspond, in position, with the Schumagin Islands of 

 Bering ; and, while sailing amongst them, they obtained, from some 

 natives, a note written on paper, in an unknown language, which 

 they supposed to be Russian. Having reached the extremity of the 

 land in that direction, they doubled the point, and, sailing again 

 towards the east, they arrived, on the 27th, at a large island, which 

 proved to be Unalashka, one of the Aleutian Archipelago, frequently 

 mentioned in the accounts of the Russians as a place of resort 

 for their traders : natives of the island only were found there ; but, 

 as its position with reference to other points in America, and to 

 Kamtchatka, was supposed to be represented with some approach 

 to accuracy, on the chart published at St. Petersburg, the Eng- 

 lish, after reaching it, were better able to determine their future 

 course. 



Being still anxious to discover, if possible, during that season, 

 how far America extended to the north-west, Cook departed from 

 Unalashka on the 2d of July, and, sailing northward along the coast, 



