that of a large leaf, pointed at the bottom, broadest in the middle,
and gradually losing itself in the shaft, the whole being about
five feet long. They have acquired great dexterity in managing these
paddles, by constant use; for sails are no part of their art of
navigation.

Their implements for fishing and hunting, which are both ingeniously
contrived, and well made, are nets, hooks and lines, harpoons, gigs,
and an instrument like an oar. This last is about twenty feet long,
four or five inches broad, and about half an inch thick. Each edge,
for about two-thirds of its length, (the other third being its
handle,) is set with sharp bone-teeth, about two inches long. Herrings
and sardines, and such other small fish as come in shoals, are
attacked with this instrument; which is struck into the shoal, and the
fish are caught either upon or between the teeth. Their hooks are made
of bone and wood, and rather inartificially; but the harpoon, with
which they strike the whales and lesser sea-animals, shew a great
reach of contrivance. It is composed of a piece of bone, cut into two
barbs, in which is fixed the oval blade of a large muscle-shell, in
which is the point of the instrument. To this is fastened about two or
three fathoms of rope; and to throw this harpoon, they use a shaft of
about twelve or fifteen feet long, to which the line or rope is made
fast; and to one end of which the harpoon is fixed, so as to separate
from the shaft, and leave it floating upon the water as a buoy, when
the animal darts away with the harpoon.

We can say nothing as to the manner of their catching or killing
land-animals, unless we may suppose that they shoot the smaller sorts
with their arrows, and engage bears, or wolves and foxes, with their
spears. They have, indeed, several nets, which are probably applied
to that purpose;[3] as they frequently threw them over their heads,
to shew their use, when they brought them to us for sale. They also,
sometimes, decoy animals, by covering themselves with a skin, and
running about upon all-fours, which they do very nimbly, as appeared
from the specimens of their skill, which they exhibited to us,
making a kind of noise, or neighing, at the same time; and on these
occasions, the masks or carved heads, as well as the real dried heads
of the different animals, are put on.

[Footnote 3: One of the methods of catching sea-otters, when ashore
at Kamptschatka, is with nets.--See _Coxe's Russian Dis