toward circumstances now found some relief in the
arrival of the Indians we waited for, who brought with them some seal, a
small portion of which fell to our share. A night or two after, they sent
out some of their young men, who procured us a quantity of a very delicate
kind of birds, called shags and cormorants. Their manner of taking these
birds resembles something a sport called bat-fowling. They find out their
haunts among the rocks and cliffs in the night, when, taking with them
torches made of the bark of the birch tree, which is common here, and grows
to a very large size, (this bark has a very unctuous qaality, and emits a
bright and clear light, and in the northern parts of America is used
frequently instead of a candle) they bring the boat's side as near as
possible to the rocks, under the roosting-places of these birds, then
waving their lights backwards and forwards, the birds are dazzled and
confounded so as to fall into the canoe, where they are instantly knocked
on the head with a short stick the Indians take with them for that purpose.

Seal are taken in some less-frequented parts of these coasts with great
ease; but when their haunts have been two or three times disturbed, they
soon learn to provide for their safety, by repairing to the water upon the
first alarm. This is the case with them hereabouts; but as they frequently
raise their heads above water, either to breathe or look about them, I have
seen an Indian at this interval throw his lance with such dexterity, as to
strike the animal through both its eyes at a great distance; and it is very
seldom that they miss their aim.

As we were wholly unacquainted with these methods of providing food for
ourselves, and were without arms and ammunition, we were drove to the
utmost straits, and found ourselves rather in worse condition than we had
been at any time before; for the Indians, having now nothing to fear from
us, we found we had nothing to expect from them upon any other motive.
Accordingly, if they ever did relieve us, it was through caprice; for at
most times, they would shew themselves unconcerned at our greatest
distresses. But the good Indian women, whose friendship I had experienced
before, continued, from time to time, their good offices to me. Though I
was not suffered to enter their wigwams, they would find opportunities of
throwing in my way such scraps as they could secrete from their husbands.
The obligation I was under to them on this