selves.
The water taken up this ebb, when at the lowest, was found to be very
considerably fresher than any we had hitherto tasted; insomuch that
I was convinced that we were in a large river, and not in a strait,
communicating with the northern seas. But as we had proceeded thus
far, I was desirous of having stronger proofs; and therefore weighed
with the next flood in the morning of the 31st, and plied higher up,
or rather drove up with the tide; for we had but little wind.

About eight o'clock, we were visited by several of the natives, in
one large and several small canoes. The latter carried only one person
each; and some had a paddle, with a blade at each end, after the
manner of the Esquimaux. In the large canoes, were men, women, and
children. Before they reached the ship, they displayed a leathern
frock, upon a long pole, as a sign, as we understood it, of their
peaceable intentions. This frock they conveyed into the ship,
in return for some trifles which I gave them. I could observe no
difference between the persons, dress, ornaments, and boats of these
people, and those of Prince William's Sound, except that the small
canoes were rather of a less size, and carried only one man. We
procured from them some of their fur dresses, made of the skins of
sea-otters, martins, hares, and other animals; a few of their darts,
and a small supply of salmon and halibut. In exchange for these they
took old clothes, beads, and pieces of iron. We found that they were
in possession of large iron knives, and of sky-blue glass beads, such
as we had found amongst the natives of Prince William's Sound. These
latter they seemed to value much, and consequently those which we now
gave them. But their inclination led them especially to ask for large
pieces of iron; which metal, if I was not much mistaken, they called
by the name of _goone_; though, like their neighbours in Prince
William's Sound, they seemed to have many significations to one word.
They evidently spoke the same language; as the words _keeta_, _naema_,
_oonaka_, and a few others of the most common we heard in that Sound,
were also frequently used by this new tribe. After spending about
two hours between the one ship and the other, they all retired to the
western shore.

At nine o'clock, we came to an anchor, in sixteen fathoms water, about
two leagues from the west shore, and found the ebb already begun. At
its greatest strength, it ran only three knots in the hour, a