REMARKABLE CONDUCT. 



195 



has sometimes left his vessel, while he was away sealing, with 

 only two men on board; and although in one instance, at Madre 

 de Dios, there were about a hundred and fifty natives assem- 

 bled, no hostile or predatory attempt whatever was made by 

 them in his absence : indeed so careful were they to prevent any 

 cause for misunderstanding, that in no instance did more than 

 two of their party go on board the vessel during the absence 

 of the boats ; though, after their return with Low, they went 

 to her as usual in great numbers. This tribe was in extreme 

 distress for want of food ; the whole party looked thin and 

 miserable. Continual gales had prevented the rocks from being 

 uncovered at low water, and no canoe could be launched on 

 account of the surf, therefore they could get neither shell-fish 

 nor seal. A small party were observed going away, as if on an 

 excursion, and the others who remained explained to Low, by 

 signs, that in four sleeps they would return with food. On the 

 fifth day they were met by Low, returning, but almost dead 

 with fatigue, each man having two or three great pieces of 

 whale-blubber, shaped like a poncho with a hole in the middle, 

 on his shoulders. The blubber was half putrid, and looked as if 

 it had been buried under ground. When they entered the 

 largest wigwam, an old man cut very thin slices off one piece, 

 broiled each successively, and distributed to the party in rota- 

 tion ; but before doing so, he muttered a few words over each 

 piece in a mysterious manner, while strict silence was kept by 

 the by-standers. One slice was offered to Low. The boy Bob 

 once noticed marks where a whale had been cast ashore; taking 

 a sharp stick, he probed the sand in several places, and found 

 many large pieces of blubber, which were taken on board and 

 boiled down for oil. One of the men of this tribe, seeing two 

 long powder-horns on board the Adeona, placed them to his 

 head and made a noise like the bellowing of cattle ; but he and 

 his tribe were much frightened by sheep and pigs. They would 

 not land on a small island where some pigs were turned loose, 

 and when talking of them, made signs that they had very big 

 noses which alarmed them. When a pig was killed by the crew 



o2 



