May* ; 'f° r we noÉ advanced a league before we found the influence
1 J ()f f° ftrong an ebb tide that, with all the exertions of our oars in addition
to our fails, we could fcarcely make any progrefs along the coaft.
-Towards fun-fet, both the wind and the weather materially changed;
the former became light and variable, from the fouthern quarter, and
brought with it inceflant torrents of-.rain. We, perievered however, in
our endeavours to gain our deftined point, but without fuccefs, until about
eleven at night; when, having collected the boats by lignal, we bore up
for the Weflern, which was rieareft the Ihore, and landed about one in
the morning, completely'drenched. With fome difficulty we got a fire;
and found a tolerable place for our tents. This, though uncomfortable;
proteöed us in fome degree from the inclemency o f the weather, which
WcdncT. 9. detained us all the next day. On wedriefday, morning, we found our-
felves near the fouth extremity óf the narrow Ihoal paffagethrough which
Mr. Johnftone had palled from port ToWnlhend, in a very fine cove, affording
good anchorage from 10 tb 25 fathoms, excellent holding ground,
and fufficiently capacious to accommodate many veilcls. We traverfed
its northern fllores, but could not find any water, except fuch as; dripped
in final! quantities from the rocks. Whilft detained by this unfavorable
weather, fome of1 the young gentlemen in their excurfions found
feveral oak trees, o f which they produced fpecimens;; but ftated that
they had not feen any exceeding three or four feet in circumference.
In confequence of this valuable difcovery, the place obtained the name
o f O a k C o v e .
The weather in fome meafure clearing up foon after day-break on,
Thurfdayio. thurfday, we again embarked, and continued on the fame weftern, or
continental Ihore, making a very flow progrefs, owing to a ftrong ebb
tide, and a frelh s . e , wind, againft us.
We had not been long, out of Oak Cove, when we delcried
fome Indians paddling flowly under the lee of a rocky point, with an,
apparent intention of waiting our approach. In this they were foon
gratified, and on our arrival, they did not feem to expreft the leaft doubt
o f our friendly difpofition towards them. They courteoufly offered fuch
things as they poflefled, and cordially accepted fome medals, beads, knives,,
and
and other trinkets, which I prefented to them, and with which they
appeared to be highly pleafed. We were now employed in taking fuch
neceflary angles as the- weather permitted us to obtain, and in acquiring
fome further information of this inlet. It appeared to be divided into
two branches ; the moft extenfive one took its- direftion to the fouth-
eaftward of land appearing like a long, low ifland ; the other, apparently
much lefs, ’ftretched to the fouth-weftward of the fame land; the
fhores. of which terminating in a high perpendicular bluff point, was,
in confequence o f the change we experienced in its neighbourhood,
called F o u l w e a t h e r B l-uf f .
As my intentions were not to depart from the continental boundary, the
weftern arm was the firft objeft o f our examination; and we direfted
our courfe towards a high lump o f land that had the appearance of an
ifland, entertaining little doubt of finding a way into the fouth eaftern,
or main arm,-fouth-of the fuppofed long low ifland. Off this point lie
fome rocks above water, with others vifible only at low tide, extending
at the diftance of three' fourths of a mile, and nearly 'a mile along the
fhore. The country thereabouts prefented a very different afpeft from that
which we’ had been accuftomed to fee. Inftead of the fandy cliffs that
form the fhores within the ftraits, thefe were compofed of lolid rocks.
On them the herbage and Ihrubs feemed to flourilh with lefs luxuriance,
though the trees appeared to form a much greater variety. Having
landed about nine o’clock to breakfaft, and to take the advantage of the
fun and wind to dry fome of our clothes, our friends the Indians, feven-
teen in number, landed alfo from fix canoes about half a mile a-head of
us, and then walked towards our party, attended by a Angle canoe along
the fhore ; they having hauled up all the others. They now approached
us with the utmoft confidence, without being armed, and behaved in the
moft refpeftful and orderly manner. On a line being drawn with a
ftick on the fand between the two parties, they immediately fat down,
and no one attempted to pafs it, without previoufly making figns, requeuing
permiflion for fo doing.
In their perfons, drefs, canoes, &c. they much relembled the Indians
of port Difcovery; they had not the moft diftant knowledge of the
Nootka