Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 2.djvu/30

Rh pallors; whofc objetl has been to allure them from their life of indolence, and raife in them a fpirit of emulous induftry; which, by fecuring to them plenty of food and the common conveniences of life, would necef- farily augment their comforts, and encourage them to feek and embrace the bleirings of civilized fociety. Deaf to the important lefTons, and infen- fible of the promifed advantages, they dill remained in the mofl; abjeft (late of uncivilization; and if we except the inhabitants of Terra del Fuego, and thofe of 'an Dicmans land, tlicy are certainly a race of the moll mi- ferable beings I ever faw, poflclfing the faculty of human reafon. Their pcrfons, generally fpeaking, were under the middle fize, and very ill made; their faces uglv, prefenting a dull, heavy, and (lujiid countenance, de- void of fenfd)ilit' or the leafl exprelfion. One of their grcated averfions is cleanlinefs, both in their i)erfons and habitations; which, after the fafliion of their forefathers, were Hill without the moll trivial improvement. Their houfes were of a conical form, about fix or [even feet in diame- ter at their bafe (which is the ground), and are conllrufted by a number of flakes, chielly of the willow tribe, which are driven erei-l into the earth in a circular manner, the upper ends of which being fmall and pliable are brought nearly to join at the top, in the center of the circle; and thefe being fecurely fallcned, give the upper part or roof fomewhat of a {lattifli apjjearance. Thinner twigs of the like fpecies are horizon- tally interwoven between the uprights, forming a piece of bafkct work about ten or twelve feet high; at the top a fmall aperture is left, which allows the fnioke of tlic fire made in flic center of the hut to efeapc, and admits moll of the light they receive: the entrance is by a fmall hole clofe to the ground, throiigli which with didiculty one perfon at a time can g.iiu admittance. The whole is covered over with a thick thatch of dried grafs iind ridlies.

Thefe miferable habitations, each of which was allotted for the residence of a whole family, weie erected with I'onie degree of uniformity, about three or four k^et afunder, in llrait rows, leaving lanes or [lalkiges at right angles between them; but thefe were fo abominably infeded with every kind of (ilth and naiUnels, as to be rendered not lefs oHi-nfive than degrading to the human fpecies. 2 Clofe 1792. November.