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J19J.
' July-'.
A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
quality, in great abundance, which were bartered for (heet-coppor, and
blue cloth; thofe articles being in the higheft eftimation amongft them.
Moft o f thefe people underftood the language of Nootka, though it did
not. appear to be generally fpoken.
The Ty-eie, or chief of the village, paid us an early vilit, and received
from me fome prefents which highly delighted him. I underftood
his name to be Chejlakees. He acknowledged Maijuinna to be a greater
c h i e f a s he alfo did Wwananijh ; but, fo far as I could learn, he did
not confider himfelf to be under the authority of either.
On inquiring if Maquinna was at the village, he anfwered in the
negative, faying they feldom vifited; and that, it was a journey o f four
days acrofs the land to Nootka found, which from hence towards the
s.s.w. is about 20 leagues diftant.
Accompanied by fome o f the officers, Mr. Menzies, and our new
gueft Chejlakees, I repaired to the village, and found it pleafantly fitua-
ted on a Hoping hill; above the banks of a line freih-water rivulet, dif-
charging itfelf into a fmall creek or Cove. It was expofed to a fouthern
afpeft, whilft higher hills behind, covered with lofty pines, fheltered it
completely from the northern winds. The houfes, in number thirty-
four, were arranged in regular ftreets; the larger ones, were the habitations
of the principal people, who had them decorated with paintings
and other ornaments, forming various figures, apparently the rude de-
figns of fancy ; though it is by no means improbable, they might annex
fome meaning to the figures they defcribed, too remote, or hieroglyphi-
cal, for our comprehenfion. The houfe of our leader Chejlakees was
diftinguiflied by three rafters of ftout timber raifed above the roof, according
to the architefture o f Nootka, though much inferior to thofe
I had there feen, in point of fize ; the whole, from the oppofite fide of
the creek, prefented a very pifturefque appearance.
On our landing, three or four of the inhabitants, only, came down
to receive us at the beach; the reft quietly remained near their houfes.
Thefe, Chejlakees informed me, were his near relations, who confequent-
ly received, in the fhape of prefents, compliments from me, with which
they feemed greatly pleafed.
The