1792.
May.
paddling round the Ihip; for neither the ladies nor the children ventured
on board. This was the cafe alfo with the generality of the men,
who contentedly remained in their canoes, rowing from fide to fide, bartering
their bows and arrows; which, with their woollen and lkin garments,
and a very few indifferent fea-otter Ikins, compofed the whole
o f their affortment for trading; thefe they exchanged, in a very fair
and honeft manner, for copper, hawk’s bells, and buttons, articles that
greatly attracted their attention. . Their merchandize would have been
infinitely more valuable to us, had it been comprized o f eatables, fuch
as venifon, wild fowl or filh, as our fportfmen and filhermen had little
fuccels in either o f thefe purfuits. All the natives we had as yet feen,
uniformly preferred .offering fuch articles as compofed their drefs, arms,
and implements, for fale, rather than any kind of food, which might
probably arife, either from the country not affording them a fuper-
abundance o f provifions, or from their having early difeovered that we
were more curious than hungry.
In the evening, feme of the canoes were obferved palling from the village
to the oppofite lhore, for the purpofe, as we fuppofed, of inviting
their neighbours to partake o f the advantages of our commerce. This
Tuefday 22. Was confirmed, the next morning, by the return of our friends, accompanied
by feveral large canoes, containing near eighty perfons, who after
.ceremonioufly paddling round the Ihips came alongfide, without the leaft
hefitation, and conducted themfelves with the utmoft propriety. The
principal number o f thefe evidently belonged to the other fide o f the
inlet; they were infinitely more cleanly than our neighbours ; and their
canoes were of a very different form. Thofe of our friends at the village,
exaftly correfponded with the canoes o f Nootka, whilft thofe o f our
new vifitors were cut off Iquare at each end ; and were, in lhape, pre-
. cifely like the canoes feen to the fouthward of cape Orford, though of
greater length, and confiderably larger. The commodities they brought
for fale, were trifles of a fimilar defcription to thofe offered by the other
fociety: in all other refpefts, they correfponded with the generality of
the few inhabitants of the country with whom we had become acquainted.
Wednef. 23, On wednefday, we had fome lightning, thunder, and rain, from the
s. e . ;
R O U N D T H E W O R L D , 265
s . e . ; this continued a few hours, after which the day was very ferene
and pleafant. Some of our gentlemen having extended their walk to t---- -— /
the cove I had vifited the firft evening of our arrival, found it to communicate
by a very narrow paffage, with an opening apparently of fome
extent. In confequence of this information, accompanied by Mr. Baker
in the yawl, I fet out the next morning to examine it, and found the en- Thurfday 24.
trance of the opening fituated in the weftern comer o f the cove, formed
by two interlocking points about a quarter o f a mile from each other;
thefe formed a channel about half a mile long, free from rocks or fhoals, in
which there was not lefs than 5 fathoms water. From the weft end of this
narrow channel the inlet is divided into two branches, one extending to
the s.w. about 5 or 6 miles, the other to the north about the fame dif-
tance, conftituting a moll complete and excellent port, to all appearance
perfeflly free from danger, with regular foundings from 4 fathoms near
the Ihores, to 9 and 10 fathoms in the middle, good holding ground.
It occupied us the whole day to row round it, in doing which we met a
few draggling Indians, whole condition feemed exceffively wretched and
miferable. The country that furrounds this harbour varies in its elevation;
in fome places the Ihores are low level land, in others of a moderate
height, falling in fteep low cliffs on the fandy beach, which in moll
places binds the Ihores. It produces fome fmall rivulets of water, is
thickly wooded with trees, moftly of the pine tribe, and with fome variety
of Ihrubs: This harbour after the gentleman who difeovered it,
obtained the name of P o r t O r c h a r d . The bell paffage into it is
found by fleering from the village point for the fouth point of the cove,
which is eafily diftinguifhed, lying from the former s. 62 w . at the distance
o f about 2-f miles, then hauling to the N.w. into the cove, keeping
on the larboard or s.w. lhore, and paffmg between it and the rocks
in the cove ; in this channel the depth of water is from 9 to 15 fathoms,
gradually decreafing to 5 fathoms in the entrance into the port. There
is alfo another paffage round to the north o f thefe rocks, in which there
is y fathoms water; this is narrow, and by no means fo commodious to
navigate as the fouthern channel.
On my return to the fliip I underftood that few of our friendly neigh-
V o l . I. M m hours