land mountains which projeft there, and form deep ravines, prefent at
diftance the appearance of a fafe and fecure p o r t; but, on a nearer
approach, the whole was found firmly connefted by a fandy beach.
This, moll probably, is the bay which the Refolution and Difcovpry
flood into; and Claffet is the point, with an ifland lying off it, which Captain
Cook called cape Flattery. The difference in latitude, (if Mr. Gray
is correft, who has palled it féveral times, and always made it nearly
the fame,) may have been occafioned by a current fimilar to. that which
we had lately experienced along the coafl; affecting the Refolution in
the fame manner, between noon, when their latitude was obferved, and
late in the evening, when Captain Cook hauled off the coafl.
As we proceeded along.the fhore, we palled the ; village o f Claffet,
which is fituated about two miles within the Cape, and has the appearance
o f being extenfive and populous. As the frefh fouthwardly wind became
much moderated by the intervention of the high land we were now under,
fome of the inhabitants found no difficulty in vifiting us ; this they did
in a very civil, orderly, and friendly manner, requefling permiffion before
they attempted to enter the fhip ; and on receiving fome prefents,
with affurances of our friendfhip, they very politely and earneltiy folici-
ted us to flop at their village. The fituation of the anchorage however
being much expofed, and wifhing for fome fnug port where, with eafeand
convenience, the various neceffary fervices we now required might be
performed, I declined their very cordial invitation, and direfted our
courfe up the inlet, entertaining no doubt that we fhould foon be enabled
to accommodate ourfelves with a more advantageous flation.
The few natives who came off refembled, in moll refpefls, the people
of Nootka. Their perfons, garments, and behaviour, are very fimilar;
fome difference was obferved in their ornaments, particularly in
thofe worn at the nofe; for inflead of the crefcent, generally adopted by
the inhabitants of Nootka, thefe wore flrait pieces of bone. Their canoes,
arms, and implements, were exaflly the fame. They fpoke the
fame language, but did not approach us with the. formality obferved by
thofe people on vifiting the Refolution and Difcovery; which may probably
be owing to their having become more familiar with flrangers.
R O U N D T H E WO R L D .
The wind veering to the s. e . obliged us to turn up along fhore on the
fouthern fide of the flraits, which, from cape Claffet, takes a direction
s. 70 E. About two miles within the village we paffed a fmall open bay,
with a little ifland lying off its eaftern fide, apparently too infignificant to
anfwer our purpofe of refitting— The weatherbecoming more unpleafant
as the day advanced ; at feven in the evening we came to anchor in 23
fathoms water, on a bottom of black fand and mud, about a mile from
the fhore-.
I now became acquainted that after we had paffed within Tatooche s
ifland a rock was noticed, and fuppofed to be that reprefented as De Fuea’s
pinnacle rock ; this however was vifible only for a few minutes, from its
being dole to the fhore of the main land, inflead of lying in the entrance
of the flraits; nor did it correfpond with that which has been fo de-
feribed.
It was fomewhat remarkable, that although we rode all night by the
wind, the Chatham, though anchored not a quarter,.of a mile in fhore of
us, rode' to a regular fix hours tide, running near half a league per hour;
and, by the appearance of the fliores, the ebb and flow; feemed to have
been very confiderable.
F f 2 CH A P TE R