coveries_, p.
13.--D.]

As to the materials, of which they make their various articles, it
is to be observed, that every thing of the rope kind is formed either
from thongs of skins and sinews of animals, or from the same flaxen
substance of which their mantles are manufactured. The sinews often
appeared to be of such a length, that it might be presumed they could
be of no other animal than the whale. And the same may be said of
the bones of which they made their weapons already mentioned; such as
their bark-beating instruments, the points of their spears, and the
barbs of their harpoons.

Their great dexterity in works of wood, may, in some measure, be
ascribed to the assistance they receive from iron tools. For, as far
as we know, they use no other; at least we saw only one chisel of
bone. And though originally their tools must have been of different
materials, it is not improbable that many of their improvements have
been made since they acquired a knowledge of that metal, which now
is universally used in their various wooden works. The chisel and the
knife are the only forms, as far as we saw, that iron assumes amongst
them. The chisel is a long flat piece, filled into a handle of wood. A
stone serves for a mallet, and a piece of fish-skin for a polisher.
I have seen some of these chisels that were eight or ten inches long,
and three or four inches broad, but, in general, they were smaller.
The knives are of various sizes; some very large; and their blades are
crooked, somewhat like our pruning-knife, but the edge is on the back
or convex part. Most of them that we saw were about the breadth and
thickness of an iron-hoop, and their singular form marks that they
are not of European make. Probably they are imitations of their own
original instruments, used for the same purposes. They sharpen these
iron tools upon a coarse slate whetstone, and likewise keep the whole
instrument constantly bright.

Iron, which they call _seekemaile_, (which name they also give to tin
and all white metals,) being familiar to these people, it was very
natural for us to speculate about the mode of its being conveyed to
them. Upon our arrival in the Sound, they immediately discovered a
knowledge of traffic, and an inclination for it; and we were convinced
afterward, that they had not received this knowledge from a cursory
interview with any strangers, but, from their method, it seemed to be
an established practice, of which they were fo