notice of it, nor could any one of us
tell who it was he was abusing."

Burney describes their language as harsh, and when in a warm discussion,
apparently insufficient, and then they had to eke it out with such nods
and jumps as reminded one of "Punch and the Devil." Their clothing was
chiefly made of skins, and a kind of cloth made from fibre or wool and
hair, or a mixture of both. "In these clothes and a coarse mat and straw
hat they would sit in their canoes in the heaviest rain as unconcernedly
as if they were in perfect shelter." Their houses of logs and boards made
by splitting large trees, were some as much as 150 feet long by 20 to 30
feet wide, and 7 or 8 feet high; they were divided into two compartments,
each apparently the property of one family. The roof was of loose planks,
which they moved about so as to let the light fall where it was wanted.
Cook judged these were only summer residences, and that they had better
houses inland. The furniture consisted of a few boxes, some wooden
vessels for their food, and a few mat bags. Their cooking was fairly
good, but excessively dirty, and their persons and houses "filthy as
hogs' sties." They often had two wooden figures in their houses
resembling human figures, of which they spoke mysteriously; but as they
could have been purchased in every case for a small quantity of old iron
or brass, they could not have been much venerated. Their arms were bows
and arrows, slings, spears, and a small club of wood or stone, something
like the New Zealander's patoo, and a stone tomahawk, the handle
fashioned like a human head, the stone cutting-part being a large tongue,
and they were decorated with human hair. The defensive armour was a
double cloak of hide, usually moose, serviceable against arrows or
spears, but they were greatly surprised to see a bullet fired through a
cloak folded four times. The only vegetables obtained were a few nettles
and wild garlic, but Burney says that at the back of the village was a
plantation of cherry trees, gooseberries and currants, raspberries and
strawberries, "but unluckily for us none of them in season." On 20th
April a man who had been allowed to go into Cook's cabin, made off with
his watch, and got away from the ship. Fortunately his canoe was seen
alongside the Discovery, and notice being given a search was made, and
the watch found in a box unharmed. Such a loss would have been serious.
Two old-fashioned silver table-spoons, suppos