Though their food, strictly speaking, may be said to consist of every thing animal or vegetable that they can procure, the quantity of the latter bears an exceedingly small proportion to that of the former. Their greatest reliance seems to be upon the sea, as affording fish, muscles, and smaller shell-fish and sea-animals. Of the first, the principal are herrings and sardines, the two species of bream formerly mentioned, and small cod; but the herrings and sardines are not only eaten fresh in their season, but likewise serve as stores, which after being dried and smoked, are preserved by being sewed up in mats, so as to form large bales three or four feet square. It seems that the herrings also supply them with another grand resource for food, which is a vast quantity of roe very curiously prepared: it is strewed upon, or as it were, incrustated about small branches of the Canadian pine; they also prepare it upon a long narrow sea-grass, which grows plentifully upon the rocks under water. This _caviare_, if it may be so called, is kept in baskets or bags of mat, and used occasionally, being first dipped in water. It may be considered as the winter bread of these people, and has no disagreeable taste. They also eat the roe of some other fish, which, from the size of its grains, must be very large, but it has a rancid taste and smell. It does not appear that they prepare any other fish in this manner, to preserve them for any length of time. For though they split and dry a few of the bream and _chimæræ_, which are pretty plentiful; they do not smoke them as the herrings and sardines.
The next article on which they seem to depend for a large proportion of their food, is the large muscle; great abundance of which are found in the sound. These are roasted in their shells, then stuck upon long wooden skewers, and taken off occasionally as wanted, being eat without any other preparation, though they often dip them in oil as a sauce. The other marine productions, such as the smaller shell-fish, though they contribute to increase the general stock, are by no means to be looked upon as a standing or material article of their food, when compared to those just mentioned.
Of the sea-animals, the most common that we saw in use amongst them, as food, is the porpoise; the fat or rind of which, as well as the flesh, they cut in large pieces, and, having dried them, as they do the herrings, eat them without any farther preparation. They also prepare a sort of broth from this animal in its fresh state, in a singular manner, putting pieces of it in a square wooden vessel or bucket, with water, and then throwing heated stones into it. This operation they repeat till they think the contents are sufficiently stewed or seethed. They put in the fresh, and take out the other stones, with a cleft stick, which serves as tongs; the vessel being always placed near the fire for that purpose.[46] This is a pretty common dish amongst them; and, from its appearance, seems to be strong, nourishing food. The oil which they procure from these and other sea-animals, is also used by them in great quantities; both supping it alone, with a large scoop or spoon, made of horn, or mixing it with other food, as sauce.