THE VILLAGE PROVES TO LE INHABITED. 
835 
■whalers; and they further told us that the “mound-like 
objects having sticks and poles stuck over and about 
them” had proved to be very comfortable houses, in 
which a number of natives were living. These latter 
were all males, however, and the entire apparent popula- 
tion of the village did not exceed fifteen souls. What 
they had done with their women and female children we 
never could ascertain, though we remained with them a 
week, during which time we traversed much of the sur- 
rounding country without seeing a sign of another living 
creature, not even so much as a bear. We finally con- 
cluded that they had some inner settlement, to which 
they had sent them for safe-keeping, and wisely gave up 
all idea of ever learning any thing on the subject. But 
let us return to Shag liock. 
While w’e were seated around our long mess-table, 
gazing vacantly at the overrated parrots, and slowly 
making up our minds to commence the attack upon a 
huge piece of salt pork, the quartermaster came down 
and reported that the tide had already fallen five fathoms, 
and that it was still falling. So, as we had heard from the 
whalers of these tides sometimes falling so much as to 
leave a ship anchored “high and dry” upon the rocks, we 
hurried on deck to see what it meant. Upon looking 
around, we were surprised to see the whole hook of the 
harbour some distance above the surface of the water, 
while pointed rocks had sprung up between us and the 
larger one under which we were anchored, like magic. 
This was the more singular, as we had noticed no upper 
current indicative of such a great rise and fall of tide, 
and we wondered without well knowing what to make 
