from the fhaft, and leave it floating upon the water as a 
buoy, when the animal darts away with the harpoon. 
We can fay nothing as to the manner of their catching 
or killing land animals, unlefs we may fuppofe that they 
flioot the fmaller forts with their arrows, and engage bears, 
or wolves and foxes, with their fpears. They have, in¬ 
deed, feveral nets, which are probably applied to that pur- 
pole *; as they frequently threw them over their heads, to 
fhew their ule, when they brought them to us for f ile. 
They alfo, fometimes, decoy animals, by covering them- 
felves with a fkin, and running about upon all fours, which 
they do very nimbly, as appeared from the fpecimens of 
their fkill, which they exhibited to us, making a kind of 
noife or neighing at the fame time; and, on thefe occ.a- 
flons, the malks, or carved heads, as well as the real dried 
heads, of the different animals, are put on. 
As to the materials, of which they make their various 
articles, it is to be obferved, that every thing of the rope 
kind, is formed either from thongs of fkins, and flnews of 
animals; or from the fame flaxen fubftance of which their 
mantles are manufactured. The flnews often appeared to 
be of fuch a length, that it might be prefumed they could 
be of no other animal than the whale. And the fame may 
be faid of the bones of which they make their weapons 
already mentioned; fuch. as their bark-beating inftru- 
ments, the points of their fpears, and the barbs of their 
harpoons. 
Their great dexterity in works of wood, may, in fome 
meafure, be afcribed to the afliftance they receive from iron 
tools. For, as far as we know, they ufe no other; at leaft, 
* One of the methods of catching the fea-otter, when aihore, in Kamtfchatka, is with 
nets. See Coxe’s Ruffian Dijcoveries , p. 13. 
Vor. II. U u 
we 
