208 



jGiimal of a Voyage through the 



These people live but poorly at this season, and I could 

 procure no provision from them, but a few small, dried 

 fish, as I think, of the carp kind. They had several Eu- 

 ropean articles ; and one of them had a strip of fur, which 

 appeared to me to be of the sea otter. He obtained it 

 from the natives of the coast, and exchanged it with me 

 for some beads and a brass cross. 



We retired to rest in as much security as if we had been 

 long habituated to a confidence in our present associates : 

 indeed we had no alternative ; for so great were the fa- 

 tigues of the day in our mode of travelling, that we were, 

 in great need of rest at night. 



Friday 5. We had no sooner laid ourselves down to 

 rest last night, than the natives began to sing, in a manner 

 very different from what I had been accustomed to hear 

 among savages. It was not accompanied either with 

 dancing, dram, or rattle ; but consisted of soft, plaintive 

 tones, and a modulation that was rather agreeable ; it had 

 somewhat the air of church music. As the natives had 

 requested me not to quit them at a very early hour in the 

 morning, it was five before I desired that the young men, 

 who were to proceed with us, should depart, when they 

 prepared to set off: but, on calling to our guide to conduct 

 us, he said, that he did not intend to accompany us any 

 further, as the young men would answer our purpose as 

 well as himself. I knew it would be in vain to remon- 

 strate with him, and therefore submitted to his caprice 

 without a reply. However, I thought proper to inform 

 him, that one of my people had lost his dag, or poignard, 

 and requested his assistance in the recovery of it. He 

 asked me what I would give him to conjure it back again .; 

 and a knife was agreed to be the price of his necromantic 

 exertions. Accordingly, all the dags and knives in the 

 place were gathered together, and the natives formed a 

 circle round them; the conjurer also remaining in the 

 middle. When this part of the ceremony was arranged, 

 he began to sing, the rest joining in the chorus ; and after 

 some time he produced the poignard which was stuck in 

 the ground, and returned it to me. 



At seven we were ready to depart : when I was sur- 

 prised to hear our late guide propose, without any solici- 

 tation on our part, to resume his office ; and he actually 

 conducted us as far as a small lake, where we found an en* 

 campment of three families. The young men who had 



