September w*ves> brothers, and other relations. Thefe ceremonies being ended,
> -> a moil excellent dinner was ferved, which Sen'- Quadra had provided, at
which we had the company o f Maquinna and the princefs, who was
feated at the head of the table, and conducted herfelf with much propriety
and decorum.
After dinner, Maquinna entertained us with a reprefentation of their '
warlike achievements. A dozen men firft appeared, armed with mulkets,
and equipped with all their appendages, who took their poft in a very
orderly manner within the entrance o f the houfe, where they remained
ftationary, and were followed by eighteen very flout men, each bearing
a fpear or lance fixteen or eighteen feet in length, proportionably
ftrong, and pointed with a long flat piece of iron, which feemed to be
lharp on both edges, and was highly polifhed ; the whole however appeared
to form but an aukward and unwieldly weapon. Thefe men
made feveral movements in imitation o f attack and defence, fingirtg at
the fame time feveral war fongs, in which they were joined by thofe
with the mulkets. Their different evolutions being concluded, I was
prefented with two fmall fea-otter fkins, and the warriors having laid
by their arms, performed a malk dance, which was ridiculoufly laughable,
particularly on the part of Maquinna, who took a confiderable
fhare in the reprefentation. . We were not backward in contributing
to the amufements of the day, fome fongs were fung which the
natives feemed much to admire, and being provided with drums and
fifes, our failors concluded the afternoon’s diverfion with reels and
country dances.
In the evening we took leave o f Maquinna, who was fcarcel'y able to
exprefs the fatisfa&ion he had experienced in the honor we had done
him, faying, that neither Waecmanijh, nor any other chief, had ever received
fuch a mark of refpeft and attention from any vifitors, and-that
he would in a few days return us the compliment; on which he was
given to underftand, he fhould be entertained in the European falhion.
From Tahfheis we proceeded a few miles in our way home,, when,
arriving at a convenient little cove, we pitched our encampment for
the night, and palled a very pleafant evening.
After
After breakfa lithe following morning we embarked and direfted our
route towards Friendly cove ; the weather was pleafant though the wind
was unfavorable; this occafioned our dining by the way on the rocks,
for which however Sen'- Quadra was amply provided. About five we
reached the cove, where I landed Sen'- Quadra and returned to the
fhip.
In ou r . converfation whilft on this little excurfion, Sen'- Quadra had
very earneftly requefted that I would name fome port or ifland after us
both, to commemorate our meeting and the very friendly intercourfe
that had taken place and fubfifted between us. Conceiving no fpot fo
proper for this denomination as the place where we had firft met, which
was nearly in the center of a tra£l o f land diat had firft been circumnavigated
by us, forming the fouth-weftem fides of the gulph o f Georgia,
and the fouthern fides of Johnftone’s ftraits and Queen Charlotte’s found,.
I named that country the ifland of Q u ad r a and V a n co u v e r ; with
which compliment he feemed highly pleafed.
During my abfence the Chatham had hauled off from the Chore, but
in confequence of the inconfiderable rife of the tide her damages had not
been repaired ; it was therefore neceflary that fhe fhould remain light until
the next fpring tides ; this however, under our prefent arrangements, was
a matter of little importance.
Maquinna with his two wives and fome o f his relations returned our -
vifit. They had not been long on board when I had great reafon to
confider my royal party as the mod confummate beggars I had ever feen ;
a difpofition which feemed generally to prevail with the whole o f this
tribe of Indians, and which probably may have been foftered by the indulgences.
fhewn them by the Spaniards. They demanded every thing
which ftruck their fancy, as being either ufeful, curious, or ornamental,
though an article with which it might be impoflible for us to gratify them;
and if not immediately prefented they would affefl to be greatly offended,
and would remain fulky for two or three days..
I was however particularly fortunate in having, at hand every thing re-
quifite to fatisfy the demands of Maquinna and his. party. The liberality
I had fo recently fhewn to himfelf and. family when at Tahfheis, was
perhaps
>792.
September.
1