Few vegetables of any kind were seen; and the trees which chiefly grew here, were the Canadian and spruce-pine, and some of them tolerably large.
The beads and iron found amongst these people, left no room to doubt, that they must have received them from some civilized nation. We were pretty certain, from circumstances already mentioned, that we were the first Europeans with whom they had ever communicated directly; and it remains only to be decided, from what quarter they had got our manufactures by intermediate conveyance. And there cannot be the least doubt of their having received these articles, through the intervention of the more inland tribes, from Hudson's Bay, or the settlements on the Canadian lakes; unless it can be supposed, (which, however, is less likely,) that the Russian traders, from Kamtschatka, have already extended their traffic thus far; or at least that the natives of their most easterly fox islands communicate along the coast with those of Prince William's Sound.[6]
As to the copper, these people seem to procure it themselves, or at most it passes through few hands to them; for they used to express its being in a sufficient quantity amongst them, when they offered any to barter, by pointing to their weapons; as if to say, that having so much of this metal of their own, they wanted no more.
It is, however, remarkable, if the inhabitants of this Sound be supplied with European articles, by way of the intermediate traffic to the east coast, that they should, in return, never have given to the more inland Indians any of their sea-otter skins, which would certainly have been seen, some time or other, about Hudson's Bay. But, as far as I know, that is not the case; and the only method of accounting for this, must be by taking into consideration the very great distance, which, though it might not prevent European goods coming so far, as being so uncommon, might prevent the skins, which are a common article, from passing through more than two or three different tribes, who might use them for their own cloathing, and send others, which they esteemed less valuable, as being of their own animals, eastward, till they reach the traders from Europe.
Footnote 1:[ (return) ]
Crantz's History of Greenland, vol. i. p. 136-138. The reader will find in Crantz many very striking instances, in which the Greenlanders, and Americans of Prince William's Sound, resemble each other, besides those mentioned in this Section by Captain Cook. The dress of the people of Prince William's Sound, as described by Captain Cook, also agrees with that of the inhabitants of Schumagin's Islands, discovered by Beering in 1741. Muller's words are, "Leur habillement étoit de boyaux de baleines pour le haut du corps, et de peaux de chiens-marins pour le bas."—Découvertes des Russes, p. 274.
Footnote 2:[ (return) ]
The rattling-ball found by Steller, who attended Beering in 1741, at no great distance from this Sound, seems to be for a similar use. See Muller, p, 256.—D.
Footnote 3:[ (return) ]
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.
Footnote 4:[ (return) ]
With regard to these numerals, Mr Anderson observes, that the words corresponding to ours, are not certain after passing three; and therefore he marks those, about whose position he is doubtful, with a point of interrogation.—D.
Footnote 5:[ (return) ]
In his account of Kodjak, p. 32 and 34.