rUEGIAN CARVING. 



April 1828. 



As their visits lasted all day they always brought their 

 food, consisting of the blubber of seals and porpoises. The 

 method used by them in cutting it up is nearly similar to that 

 adopted by the Esquimaux Indians, as described by Sir 

 Edward Parry in his second voyage, and also resembles the 

 process of the natives of King George''s Sound, which I have 

 described in the account of my survey of Australia (vol. ii. 

 p. 140) : a piece of blubber being held in the left hand, a cor- 

 ner of it is taken between the teeth, and it is then cut by a 

 knife, held underhanded, into strips backward and forward, 

 without passing the instrument entirely through : so that when 

 the operation is finished the piece draws out into a long band, 

 about an inch thick, formed by the connected strips. The 

 whole affair from first to last is most offensive to the sioht ; and 

 the countenance of the carver is beyond description, for his eyes 

 being directed to the blubber, squint shockingly, and give his 

 ugly face a hideous appearance. The strip of blubber is next 

 divided among the party, each of whom proceeds to extract its 

 oily juices by drawing it through his teeth and sucking it, 

 after which it is warmed in the fire to facilitate its division 

 into small pieces, which are swallowed or bolted without masti- 

 cation. Morsels of this dainty food were given not only to the 

 elder children, but even to infants at the breast. 



On the 14th, while preparing to weigh, the Indians came on 

 board and helped to heave in the cable, but without rendering 

 us much real assistance. When the sails were loosed, the women 

 in the canoes began to chatter and scream for fear we should 

 carry off their friends, and their alarm was no sooner given 

 than the deck was cleared of our visitors, who seemed to be 

 quite as much frightened for their safety as the women were. 

 In a few minutes afterwards we were proceeding to the south- 

 ward, and first tried to anchor in a bay on the south side of 

 Smyth Harbour, but finding the depth too great, I sent Lieut. 

 Graves to sound behind an islet where there were indications of 

 a place of shelter, but he returned unsuccessful. During his 

 absence I went to a very narrow passage, which he had dis- 

 covered, leading to a large channel or sound ; but finding it 



