ABSTRACT
Town in a Bay to the Westward of where our Ships lay, it then Raining very hard we made the best of our way to the largest House we saw supposing it to be the Best, but finding it Otherwise obliged us to take Shelter in a Smaller one. This Town consists of abt I 8 or 20 Houses situated at the Bottom of a Large Bay on Low lea vel ground, a fresh Water River running close by where they all Land & haul up their Canoes. The Land aback of the Town is Marshy with a large fresh water pond well Stor'd with Salmon & Salmon trout. The Houses are rather Huts & built in an Arch'd form with Drift Wood & cover'd with Dry'd Grass, then with Earth abt 2 feet thick with a hole at the Top to go in & out at. The Smaller the House the more of Consequence the inhabitant; in the Larger Houses the poorer sort of people live togeather, they lay on Matts all round the sides of their Houses & live in a very Dirty Miserable manner. They have Poles & Rafters near their Houses to dry their fish on & when Dry'd stack them up & cover them with Matts &cc. Their Chief Food is Salmon, Salmon-Trout, Rock fish, Halibut, & Whales fresh in the Summer & Dry in the Winter. They Eat Berrys during the Fall of the Year & preserve a great quantity for the Winter, which in a great measure prevents their having the Scurvy. The Men & Women are of the Middle Size, fair complexion, Black Hair, little Eyes, small Noses, high Cheek'd Bones; they Tattow a little & have holes through their under Lips & middle part of their Noses & wear pieces of Ivory in them in different forms. Their Chief Dress is Birds and Seal skins, made like a Frock which reaches below the Knee; besides this the Men Wear Morgerson's1 or Boots with a Bladder Frock & a Wooden Hat made like a Woman's Bonnet curiously painted. We found here Copper Kettles with Iron Bales2 or Handles & many Knives made of Iron which they got from the Russians. They all make use of Snuff & seem to have plenty of it, likewise they are very fond ofTobacco but have but little of it among them. They seem to be under a tribute, I suppose to the Russians, as we saw an Indian take a Dry'd fish from Every House 2 Days running; the first Day there was another Indian that came with the Man that carried the fish, he seemd to be much superior to any here as they all seem'd to fear him, he appear'd to be a Collector. You need not be under any apprehension or fear of trusting Yourself amongst these people as they are a set of very Honest Indians not being the least addicted to thieving. They have no Bows, Arrows, Spears nor Warlike weapons of any kind & appear to live happy amongst one another. It raining very hard all the Evening Obliged us to take up our Lodging here till the next Day. They have a great quantity of Whale Oile which serves them as Butter or Sauce to their fish & to Burn in their Lamps, which is made of a hollow stone fill'd with Oile, the Week is Dry'd Straw mixt with Oile which burns well & gives a good Light. We lay here all Night but got very little Sleep being Bit by the Flea's.
