cient grounds for believing that the regular supply of iron
comes from a different quarter. It is remarkable, that the Spaniards,
in 1775, found at _Puerto de la Trinidad_, in latitude 41 deg.7', _arrows
pointed with copper or iron, which they understood were procured
from the north_. Mr Daines Barrington, in a note at this part of the
Spanish journal, p. 20, says "I should conceive, that the copper and
iron here mentioned, must have originally been bartered at our forts
in Hudson's Bay."--D.]

Of the political and religious institutions established amongst
them, it cannot be supposed that we should learn much. This we could
observe, that there are such men as chiefs, who are distinguished by
the name or title of _Acweek_, and to whom the others are, in some
measure, subordinate. But I should guess, the authority of each
of these great men extends no farther than the family to which he
belongs, and who own him as their head. These _Acweeks_ were not
always elderly men; from which I concluded that this title came to
them by inheritance.

I saw nothing that could give the least insight into their notions
of religion, besides the figures before mentioned, called by them
_Klumma_. Most probably these were idols; but as they frequently
mentioned the word _acweek_, when they spoke of them, we may, perhaps,
be authorised to suppose, that they are the images of some of their
ancestors, whom they venerate as divinities. But all this is mere
conjecture; for we saw no act of religious homage paid to them; nor
could we gain any information, as we had learned little more of their
language than to ask the names of things, without being able to hold
any conversation with the natives, that might instruct us as to their
institutions or traditions.

In drawing up the preceding account of the people of this Sound, I
have occasionally blended Mr Anderson's observations with my own;
but I owe every thing to him. that relates to their language; and the
following remarks are in his own words.

"Their language is by no means harsh or disagreeable, farther
than proceeds from their using the _k_ and _h_ with more force, or
pronouncing them with less softness than we do; and, upon the whole,
it abounds rather with what we may call labial and dental, than with
guttural sounds. The simple sounds, which we have not heard them use,
and which, consequently, may be reckoned rare, or wanting in their
language, are those represented by the letters _