ost extraordinary motions with their arms and
bodies, varying them by high leaps into the air, while showers of
feathers fell from their heads. Every dancer retained his own place, but
turning continually round and round, gave the spectators an opportunity
of admiring him on all sides. One only stood a little apart; he was
particularly decorated with ermine-skins and feathers, and beat time for
the dancing with a staff ornamented with the teeth of the sea-otter. He
appeared to be the director of all the movements.

At every pause we offered tobacco-leaves to the dancers and musical
ladies: both sexes eagerly seized the favourite refreshment, and crammed
their mouths with it, then recommencing the music and dancing with
renewed alacrity. When at length downright exhaustion put an end to the
spectacle, the Kalushes were entertained with a favourite mess of rice
boiled with treacle. They lay down round the wooden dishes, and helped
themselves greedily with their dirty hands. During the meal, the women
were much inconvenienced by their lip-troughs; the weight of the rice
made them hang over the whole chin, and the mouth could not contain all
that was intended for it.

During one of these repasts, the Kalushes were much terrified by a young
bear which we had brought from Kamtschatka: breaking loose from his
chain, he sprang over their heads, and seizing on the wooden vessel that
contained the rice, carried it off in triumph. At parting we always gave
them a dram of brandy, which they are very fond of, and can drink in
considerable quantities without injury.

That no vice may be wanting to complete their characters, the Kalushes
are great gamblers. Their common game is played with little wooden
sticks painted of various colours, and called by several names, such as,
crab, whale, duck, &c., which are mingled promiscuously together, and
placed in heaps covered with moss; the players being then required to
tell in which heap the crab, the whale, &c. lies. They lose at this game
all their possessions, and even their wives and children, who then
become the property of the winner.

During the whole of our residence at Sitka, we maintained peace with the
Kalushes, which may be entirely attributed to the moderation and
intrepidity of our sailors.

Opposite our frigate, on the shore, the ship's cooper had settled under
a tent, almost all our casks being in want of repair; and I allowed him
three armed sailors as assistants and pr