C H A P T E R IX.
Pajs through Broughton’s archipelago, to purfue the continental Jhore The
. vejels get aground— Enter Fitzhugh’s found— Reafons i f or quitting the
coajl, and proceeding to Nootka,
1192. H a v i n g replaced our broken anchor-with a new one from out of
L Ju‘y- , the hold/ which had employed the whole of the preceding day, about ten
Saturday2i- On faturday forenoon we proceeded with a favorable breeze from the
weftward, to the appointed’rendezvous, that lies from the fandy ifland
N. 89 E. at the diftance of about 14 miles, Where, at three-in the afternoon,
we anchored in 20 fathoms'water, fandy bottom, -about a cables
length from the fhore, of a fimilar nature to thofe already defcribed.
Wilhing to acquire’fome idea of the probable extent-of this opening,
I left the fhip after dinner, and was not a little furprized- to find it. communicate
with the extenfive fpace of water, to the north of the channel
'o r ftraits already mentioned, making the larid-wrider which we were at
"‘anchor,'an ifland about a-league and a h a lf long, nearly-'in a direftion
N. yo"\v. with many rocky filets and rocks lying -about -its wellern extremity,
fome along its north fide, and others Off the call end. Northward
of this ifland, and b f a.chain o f others which lie to the -weftward.of
it, an arm o f the fea, notlefsthan4 or 5 leagues-acrbfs, ftretohed weftward
towards the'ocean, where the horizon, in that diretlion, appeared
to be intercepted only by-a few fmall iflands; ’the eaftern; and northern
Ihores feemed wholly compofed of rocky iflands and rocks, and preferred
in their examination a very laborious talk, to afcertain the continental
boundary. But as this important line had been already determined
to the entrance of an opening, not more than 3 leagues to the
, a eaftward
eaftward of our prefent ftation, now under the furvey.of Mr. Broughton juf*,"
in the Chatham, and as a branch of this opening to the eaftward of us i---- c— >
-took a direftion that way through a multitude of iflands, any inveftiga-
tion of this broken country was rendered unneceffary, until I Ihould
underftand how far the Chatham had been able to fucceed in fixing the
continuation of the continental Ihore.
| Our very inaftive, uhpleafaht fituation, whilft we anxioully waited the
arrival of our confort, was fomewhat relieved by the vifits o f a few
Indians from the fouthern Ihore o f the ftraits, who brought us a fmall
fupply of filh, very acceptable, being unable to obtain any by our own
efforts. Amongft the number of our vifitors we were honored with the
company of Chejlakees, with whofe importunities for various articles I
had with pleafure complied. He remained on board moft part o f the
day; and as he fat at my elbow whilft writing, faw me frequently advert
to a fmall memorandum book, which he managed to take away in
the moft dexterous manner, unperceived. Having occafion, for its ufe,
and knowing no other perfon had been near me, the purloiner could
not be miftaken. A Sandwich ifland mat which I had given him, he had
contrived to fold up in a very fmall compafs, and in the center of it
was the miffing book. ’- He -appeared fomewhat alhamed at the deteftion,
but more mortified at my taking away the prefents he had received ;
thefe were however, about two hours afterward reftored, on his contrition,
and penitential application. Stealing a book, incapable of being
in the lead degree ferviceable to him, or ufeful to any other perfon than
the owner, ftrongly marked that natural inordinate propenfity to thieving,
which, with few exceptions, influences the whole of the uncivilized
world, preventing them, as if impelled by mere inftinfit, and defti-
tute of reafon, to reftrain fuch inclinations.
Without any circumftance occurring of an interefting nature, we remained
uncomfortably idle until the arrival of Mr. Broughton in the afternoon
of the 27th, who came on board in his cutter, the Chatham
having been obliged, by adverfe winds, to anchor the preceding evening Friday j 7.
3’ leagues to the weftward of our rendezvous.
Mr. Broughton informed me, that after he had entered the opening
V ol. I. Z z he