ifland, appeared the moll elevated, compofed of very lofty mountains,
■ vvhofe fummits, not very irregular, were ftill in fome places covered with
fnow. The northern fide, for a conliderable diftance, feemed lefs elevated,
and the intire foreft that covered its furface, might have favored
»■ he belief of great fertility, had we not known that pine trees innumerable
are produced from the fiffures and chafms of the moft barren
rocks, of which, we had great reafon to fuppofe, the whole of the country
before us was compofed. Its low appearance may poffibly be oc-
cafioned by its being much divided by water, as we evidently faw, through
an opening, about four miles only to the weftward of that appointed
for our rendezvous, a much greater fpace fo occupied, than that which
comprehended thefe ftraits. Our general view to the northward, was,
however, bounded by a mountainous country, irregular in the height
o f its eminences, and fome of them capped with fnow. The retired hills
of the moft eaftern part of the ftraits, were, as we paffed, fo obfcured
by the high fteep rocky cliffs o f the Ihores, that we were unable to de-
fcribe them with any precifion. As the elevation of the northern Ihore
decreafed, I was in expe&ation of feeing a continuation of that lofty
and connected range of fnowy mountains, which I have repeatedly had
reafon to conlider, as the infurmountable barrier to any extenfive inland
navigation. Herein I was difappointed, as this lofty ftrufture either
decreafes in its vaft degree of elevation, or it extends in a more inland
direction.
The relidence o f all the natives, we had feen, lince our departure from
point Mudge, was uniformly on the Ihores of this extenfive ifland,
forming the fouthern fide of Johnftone’s ftraits, which feems not only to be
as well inhabited as could be expefted in this uncultivated country, but
infinitely more fo, than, we had reafon to believe, the fouthern parts
of New Georgia. This faft eftablilhed, it muff be confidered as Angularly
remarkable, that, on the coaft o f the oppofit^ or continental fhore,
we did not difcover even a veftige of human exiftence, excepting the
deferted villages! This circumftance, though it countenances the idea
of the original inhabitants o f the interior country having migrated,
fallen by conqueft, or been deftroyed by difeafe; ftill leaves us unable to
adduce any particular reafon as the caufe of this evident depopulation.
The width of the paffage fcarcely any where exceeding two miles, can
hardly have induced the inhabitants of the northern fide, to quit ■v—
their dwellings for a refidence on the oppofite fhore, merely for, the
purpofe of being that fmall diftance nearer to the commerce of the fea-
coaft. On regarding the afpect of the two fituations, and on reflefting
that the winter feafon under this parallel muft be fevere and inclement,
it appears reafonable to fuppofe, that any human beings, not reftrained
in fixing their abode, would not hefitate to choofe the very oppofite fide
to that which is here preferred, where, in general, their habitations
front a bleak northern afpeft, with mountains riling fo perpendicularly
behind them, that, if they do not totally, they muft in a great mea-
fure, exclude the cheering rays o f the fun for fome months o f the year.
The northern fide labours not under this difadvantage, and enjoying the
genial warmth denied to the other, at certain feafons, moft probably,
poffeffes the requifites neceffary to their prefent mode of life, at leaft
in an equal degree; efpecially, as this country has, in no inftance, received
the advantages of cultivation. This would appear to be the
fituation of choice, the other of neceflity; for the fame fource o f fub-
fiftence, which is evidently the fea, affords equal fupplies to the inhabitants
of either fhore. And that there was a time, when they refided on
both, is clearly proved, by their deferted habitations, yet in exiftence,
on the northern fhore.
As neither Maquinna, nor any o f his people, were at this village, I
intrufted to the brother of a man named Kaowitee, who feemed next
o f importance to Chejlakees, the letter I received from Sen" Galiano, as
alfo one from myfelf, to be forwarded to Sen" Quadra at Nootka, which
this man undertook to deliver, on the promife of being handfomely
rewarded for his fervice.
The fandy ifland, by my obfervations, is fituated in latitude 50 35
longitude 232°57'; the variation of the compafs here being 20°45 eaft-
wardly.
CH A P TE R