298 



WALWICH BAY. 



[1828. 



This bay and its vicinity, in the months of August and September, 

 are visited by great numbers of right whales, which resort thither for 

 the purpose of bringing forth their young. Fish also, of various 

 kinds, and in great abundance, may be caught here with a seine; 

 but it is difficult to haul the seine on shore in any part of the bay 

 excepting the eastern shore, on account of the mud flats. Ships 

 visiting this bay for the purpose of taking whales, in the months 

 before named, should anchor about half a mile within the bay, 

 under the western shore, in five fathoms of water, muddy bottom. 

 In this situation they will be enabled to see whales from the mast- 

 head, outside of the bay beyond the peninsula ; and at the same 

 time lie in safety, as northerly winds never blow here more than a 

 royal breeze, and that for a few hours only. They will also gain 

 much time, and save much labour, in getting the whales along- 

 side the ship ; as the wind blows nearly all the time from the south ; 

 and often, in the afternoon, a single-reef breeze. But it is generally 

 calm at night, and in the fore-part of the day. The water is entirely 

 smooth all over the bay, and consequently it is a safe as well as a 

 spacious harbour at any season of the year. 



The interior of the country to the eastward of this bay presents a 

 dreary range of desert sandy mountains and valleys, entirely destitute 

 of soil, or vegetation of any kind, for twenty or twenty-five miles inland, 

 with the exception of a few valleys that lie to the east-south-east and 

 south-east of the head of the bay, in which are a few Hottentot villages, 

 with small herds of cattle and sheep, that feed on such coarse grass 

 and shrubbery as they can pick up. 



About three miles from the south-east part of the bay, on a south- 

 east-by-east course, is a small village, where fresh water may be had 

 from many springs in the valley. This water possesses a peculiar 

 flavour, not unlike sassafras tea, but it is not in the least brackish. 

 The village contains about two hundred and fifty inhabitants, who often 

 visit the bay for the purpose of fishing. I have frequently had them 

 on board the vessel, and have purchased from them cattle and sheep, 

 which were in fine order. I uniformly found them to be a very friendly, 

 harmless, inoffensive people, but very indolent and filthy, and some- 

 what given to thieving. 



Their tents or wigwams resemble those I have seen near the Strait 

 of Magellan, and are sufficiently capacious to accommodate two or 

 three persons. A number of poles are stuck in the ground, in a cir- 

 cular form, the tops of which are fastened together in a point by a 

 leather thong. Over the summit of this conic frame is thrown a bul- 

 lock's hide, to which others are attached, until the simple habitation is 

 completely protected from the weather. Their clothing is made of the 

 skins of the gray fox, the deer, the leopard, &c, sewed together with 

 the sinews of the animals, in the form of a blanket, which they throw 

 over the shoulders, with the hair-side next to their bodies, being tied 

 around the neck, and hanging down to the feet. Both sexes dress in 

 the same manner, the female being distinguished only by the profu- 

 sion of her ornaments : these consist of shells, bones, and minerals 

 of different kinds, and are worn about the neck and wrists ; but the 

 men have nothing of the kind. 



