A V O Y A G E ROUND THE WORLD. 1 7 4
apS l t0 Put ^UC*1 proje&s in execution. On this occafton, I
'cannot omit mentioning a remarkable inftance of courage
•which characterifed the old man who had now left u s ;
•our officers having fired feveral mufquets in his prefence,
he became defirous of difcharging one himfelf, which they
eafily granted ; the young woman, fuppofed to be his
daughter, fell proftrate on the ground before him, and
entreated him, with the ftrongeft marks of fear, to defift
from his undertaking ; but he was not to be diverted
from his purpofe, and fired the mufquet with the greateft
refolution, repeating it afterwards three or four times. This
warlike difpofition, together with the irafcible temper of
the whole nation, that cannot brook the leaf! injury, is
probably the caufe which has induced this Angle family,
and the few in the long inlet we had vifited, to feparate
from the reft of their fellow-creatures. All the difputes
of favage people commonly terminate in the deftrudtion
of one of their parties, unlefs they evade it by a well-
timed flight: this may have been the cafe of the inhabitants
of Dufky Bay, and admitting it, their defign of going
to fight, is no more than a projedf of being revenged on
their foes and oppreflors.
F r i d a y On the 23d, early in the morning’, feveral officers, accompanied
by Dr. Sparrman, went to Cafcade Cove, in order
to afcend one of the higheft mountains in the bay, which
was fituated on one fide of it. About two o’clock they
reached
A VOY AGE ROUND THE WORLD. 17 S
reached the fummit, which they made known to us by jjfe*
lighting a great fire there. We fhould have accompanied
them on this excurfion, but a violent flux attended with-
gripes confined us on board. It was owing to the care-
lefTnefs of our cook, who had fuffered our copper kitchen-
furniture to become full of verdigrife. In the evening'
however, we went to meet our travellers in Cafcade Cove,
and after fearching the woods fome time for plants and
birds, we brought them on board with us. At night, the-
fire had fpread in a. bright circular garland alL round the
fummit of the mountain, and made a very elegant illumination
in honour of St. George’s day. Our party related,
that they had a. profpedt of the whole bay, and of-
the fea beyond the mountains to the fouth, S; W. and W.
N. W. for more than' twenty leagues alb round them, the
weather being remarkably fine and clear. The inland'
mountains were very barren, and confifted of huge broken'
and, craggy maffes, all covered with fnow on their fummits;
the top of that on which they flood, afforded feveral low
farubs and various alpine plants, .which we bad feen nowhere
elfe. A little- lower down they faw a taller fhrub-
bery; below this a fpace covered with dry or dead trees,,
and next to thofe the living woods began, which increafcd
in fize as they defcended. The afcent had been fatiguing
enough, on account of the intricacy, of briars and climbers,,
but the defc.ent alfo was dangerous,, beeaufe of many
precipices