The food which we saw them eat, was dried fish, and the flesh of some animal, either broiled or roasted.  Some of the latter that was bought, seemed to be bear’s flesh, but with a fishy taste.  They also eat the larger sort of fern root, mentioned at Nootka, either baked, or dressed in some other way; and some of our people saw them eat freely of a substance which they supposed to be the inner part of the pine-bark.  Their drink is most probably water; for in their boats they brought snow in the wooden vessels, which they swallowed by mouthfuls.  Perhaps it could be carried with less trouble in these open vessels, than water itself.  Their method of eating seems decent and cleanly; for they always took care to separate any dirt that might adhere to their victuals.  And though they sometimes did eat the raw fat of some sea-animal, they cut it carefully into mouthfuls, with their small knives.  The same might be said of their persons, which, to appearance, were always clean and decent, without grease or dirt; and the wooden vessels, in which their victuals are probably put, were kept in excellent order, as well as their boats, which were neat, and free from lumber.

Their language seems difficult to be understood at first; not from any indistinctness or confusion in their words and sounds, but from the various significations they have.  For they appeared to use the very same word, frequently, on very different occasions; though doubtless this might, if our intercourse had been of longer duration, have been found to be a mistake on our side.  The only words I could obtain, and for them I am indebted to Mr Anderson,[3] were those that follow; the first of which was also used at Nootka, in the same sense; though we could not trace an affinity between the two dialects in any other instance.

[Footnote 3:  We are also indebted to him for many remarks in this Section, interwoven with those of Captain Cook, as throwing considerable light on many parts of his journal.—­D.]

Akashou,                  What’s the name of that?
Namuk,                    An ornament for the ear.
Lukluk,                   A brown shaggy skin, perhaps a bear’s.
Aa,                       Yes.
Natooneshuk,              The skin of a sea-otter.
Keeta,                    Give me something.
Naema,                    Give me something in exchange, or barter.

                         / Of, or belonging to me.—­Will
  Ooonaka, { you barter for this that belongs
                         \ to me?

Manaka,
Ahleu,                    A spear.
Weena, or Veena,        Stranger—­calling to one.
Keelashuk,                Guts of which they make jackets.
Tawuk,                    Keep it.

                         / A piece of white bear’s skin, or
  Amilhtoo, { perhaps the hair that covered
                         \ it.