XIV.] 
ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. 
255 
1817). The inhabitants had not before seen any Europeans, and 
they received the foreigners with a friendliness which exposed 
Kotzebue to severe suffering. Of this he gives the following 
account:— 
“ So long as the naturalists wandered about on the hills I stayed 
with my acquaintances, who, when they found that I was the 
commander, invited me into their tents. Here a dirty skin was 
spread on the floor, on which I had to sit, and then they came in 
one after the other, embraced me, rubbed their noses hard against 
mine, and finished their caresses by spitting in their hands and 
then stroking me several times over the face. Although these 
proofs of friendship gave me very little pleasure, I bore all 
patiently ; the only thing I did to lighten their caresses some¬ 
what was to distribute tobacco leaves. These the natives received 
with great pleasure, but they wished immediately to renew their 
proofs of friendship. Now I betook myself with speed to knives, 
scissors, and beads, and by distributing some succeeded in averting 
a new attack. But a still greater calamity awaited me when in 
order to refresh me bodily they brought forward a wooden tray 
with whale blubber. Nauseous as this food is to a European 
stomach I boldly attacked the dish. This, along with new presents 
which I distributed, impressed the seal on the friendly relation 
between us. After the meal our hosts made arrangements 
for dancing and singing, which was accompanied on a little 
tambourine.” ^ 
As von Kotzebue two days after sailed past the north point of 
the island he met three haydars. In one of them a man stood 
up, held up a little dog and pierced it through with his knife, as 
Kotzebue believed, as a sacrifice to the foreigners.*^ 
was rowed along the coast. The natives however were frightened by some 
giiiishots fired as a signal (Sarytchev’s Reise^ ii. p. 91, Sauer, p. 239). 
Billings says that the place where he landed (the south-east point of the 
island) was nearly covered with bones of sea-animals. It would be impor¬ 
tant to have these thoroughly examined, as it is not impossible that Steller’s 
sea-cow (Rhytina) may in former times have occasionally come to this 
coast. At all events important contributions to a knowledge of the species 
of whales in Behring’s Straits may be gained here. 
^ Otto von Kotzebue. Entdechungs-Reise an die Sud-See und nacli der 
Behring-Strasse^ 1816-18. Weimar, 1821, i. p. 135; ii. p. 104; iii. pp. 171 
and 178. 
^ On the days after our arrival at Pitlekaj several dogs were killed. I 
