* Vide
Cook’s lai
Voyage.
who are fettled along the ftiores of this country:, may, probably, have
i their refidence iri the fmall nooks that are protected from the violence of
the weftwardly fwell by fome of the larger rocky iflets, fo abundantly
fcattered along the coaft.
A pleafing and courteous deportment diftinguiftied thefe people. Their
countenances indicated nothing ferocious ; their features partook rather of
the general European character; their colour a light olive; and befides
being pun&uated in the falhion of the South-Sea iflanders, their fkin had
many other marks, apparently from injuries in their excurfions through the
forefts, poffibly, with little or no clothing that could protect them; though
fome of us were of opinion thefe marks were purely ornamental, as is
the falhion with the inhabitants o f Van Dieman’s land*. Their ftature
was under thé middle fize ; none that we faw exceeding five feet fix
inches in height. They were tolerably well limbed, though flender in their
perfons; bore little or no refemblance to the people of Nootka ; nor
did they feem to have the leaft knowledge of that language. They feemed
to prefer the comforts of cleanlinefs to the painting of their bodies ;< in
their ears and notes they had fmall ornaments o f bone; their hair,
which was long and black, was clean and neatly combed, and generally
tied in a club behind; though fome among!! them had their hair in a
club in front alfo. They were drelfed in garments that nearly covered
them, made principally of the fkins of deer, bear, fox, and river otter?
one or two cub flrins of the fea otter, were alfo obferved among!! them.
Their canoes, calculated to carry about eight people, were rudely
wrought out of a Angle tree; their lhape much refembled that o f a
butcher’s tray, and teemed very unfit for a fea voyage or any diftant expedition.
They brought but a few trifling articles to barter, and they
anxioufly folicited in 1 exchange iron and beads. In this traffic they
were ferupuloufly honeft, particularly in fixing their bargain with the
fir!! bidder; for, if a fecond offered a more valuable commodity for
what they had to fell, they would not content, but made fignst:(which
could not be millaken,) that the firft fhould pay the price offered by the
fecond, on which the bargain would be clofed. They did not entertain
the leaft idea of accepting prefents ; for on my giving them fome beads,
medals, iron, &c. they inftantly offered their garments in return, and i---- -— >
feemed much aftonifhed, and I believe not lefs pleated, that I chofe to
decline them. The firft man, in particular, gave me fome trouble to
perfuade him that he was to retain both the trinkets and his garment.
We remained in this fituation until near midnight, when a light breeze
fpringing up from the s. s. E. attended with fome rain and dark gloomy Wedner. 25,
weather, we weighed and ftood to and fro until day-light; when we di-
re£ted our courfe round the group of rocks lying off cape Orford, comprehending
four detached rocky iflets, with feveral dangerous funken
rocks about them, on which the fea broke with great violence ; the out-
ermoft of thefe lies from the Cape si.gS fijjjj diftant about 4 miles ; we
paffed clofe to the breakers in foundings- of 45 fathoms, black fandy
bottom. Cape Orford, which is fituated in latitude 420 52', longitude
235° 35*’ at PSp extremity of a low projefting tra£! o f land, forms a
very confpicuous point, and bears the fame appearance whether approached
from the north or the fouth. It is covered with wood as low
down as the furf will permit it to grow. The fpace between the woods
and the wa!h of the fea, feemed compofed of black craggy rocks, and
may from the maft head be feen at the diftance of 7 or 8 leagues ; but I
{hould fuppofe not much further. Some of us were of opinion that this
was the cape Blanco of Martin D ’Aguilar; its latitude, however, differed
greatly from that in which cape Blanco is placed by that navigator; and
its dark appearance, which might probably be oecafioned by the hazinefs
of weather, did riot feem to intitle it to the appellation of cape Blanco,
North of this Cape, the coaft takes a direftion about N. 13 e . ; and
fouth of it towards point St. George, s. 18 E,
The rocky iflets which we had feen in fuch numbers along the !hore, ceafed
to exift about a league to the north of cape Orford; and in their ftead,
an almoft ftrait fandy beach prefented itfelf, with land behind gradually
rifing to a moderate height near the coaft; but the interior was con-
fiderably elevated, and much diverfified both by its eminences and pro-
duftions, being generally well wooded, though frequently interrupted
! with-
C