Accidents > Dangers of the deep, or, Narratives of shipwreck and adventure at sea

216 SUFFEBIKUS AMOSG THE INDIANS,
met with was not at all agreeable; for stoop¬
ing to get into it, I presently received two or
three kicks in my face, and at the same time
heard the sound of voices seemingly in anger;
which made me retire, and wait at the foot of
a tree, wliere I remained till an old woman
peeped out, and made signs to me to draw
near. I obeyed very readily, and went into
the wigwam : in it were three men and two
women; one young man seemed to have great
respect shewn to him by the rest, though he
was the most miserable object I ever saw.
He was a perfect skeleton, and covered with
sores from head to foot. I was happy to sit
a moment by their fire, as I was quite be¬
numbed with cold. The old woman took
out a piece of seal, holding one part of it be¬
tween her feet, and the other end in her
teeth, and then cut off some thin slices with
a sharp shell, and distributed them about to
the other Indians. She then put a bit upon
the fire, taking a piece of fat in her mouth,
which she kept chewing, every now and then
spirting some of it on the piece that was
warming upon the fire; for they never do more
with it than warm it through. When it was
ready she gave me a little bit, which I swallow-