J793- branches of pine trees. The entrance is a round hole in one corner
( May. * '
u —y ; o f the houfe clofe to the ground, where with difficulty a grown perfon
can find admittance; I found this fo unpleafant in two inftances,
that I declined fatisfying my curiofity any further than could be done by
removing the materials that filled up the interftices. Four o f thefe houfes
feemed to have been recently built, and were on a level with the ground.
Thefe appeared' to be calculated for two families of fix or feven perfons
. each; the other, which was fmaller and nearly half underground, I fup-
pofed to be the refidence of one family, making the village according
to this eftimate to contain about fixty perfons. T o the matrons of
thefe rude habitations, I diftributed feme nails, beads, and other
trivial matters, who in return, infilled on my accepting fome m u f
cles of a very large fize, which they candidly acknowledged were the
only things they had to offer. After re-vifiting our party at work, who
were proceeding with much difpatch, I left them under the eare o f Mr.
Swaine and returned on board, where I found our few Indian vifitors
trading in a very honeft and civil manner. Their merchandize confided
o f bows, arrows, fome very inferior fea otter fkins, with a fcanty
fupply o f fardinias, finall herrings, and fome fiat filh. Their numbers
during the forenoon feemed to multiply from all quarters, particularly
from the fouthward, from whence they arrived both by land and in their
canoes. Thefe people feemed to have aflembled in confequence o f Signals
that had been made the preceding evening, foon- after the laft party
returned to the fhore. A fire had been then made; and was anfwered
by another to the fouthward on a high rock in the bay; the fame Signal
was repeated in the morning, and again anfwered to the fouthward.
Whilft we were thus engaged in fupplying our wants, Mr. Whidbey
was employed in founding and taking a fketch of the bay.
The weather was cloudy- and rainy during a few hours in the middle of
the day, and contrary to expectation the night brought with it no land,
wind; but as the reft of the twenty-four hours was perfeCUy calm, we
had hopes that a favorable change was at hand. We were however
Saturday 4. again cfifappointed, as towards noon on the 4th, the wind returned, to as
from its former quarter.
Few
Few o f the natives vilited the fhip, though the party on (hore had the J793-
company of more than a hundred. The number of the inhabitants be- 1---- ,—
longing to the village feemed to be about fixty ; the others, who came from
the fouthward, were all armed with bows and arrows. Thefe they at firft
kept in conftant readinefs for aftion, and would not difpofe of. them,
nor even allow of their being examined by our people. They feated
themfelves together, at a diftance from our nearer neighbours, which
indicated them to be under a different authority; at length however they
became more docile and familiar, and offered for fale fome of their bows,
arrows, and fea otter fkins. The bow and arrow were the only weapon
thefe people appeared to poffefs. Their arrows were made very neatly,
pointed with bone, agate, or common flint; we faw neither copper nor
iron appropriated to that purpofe; and they had knives alfo made o f
the fame materials.
In the afternoon we had taken on board about twenty-two tons of
water, and as much wood as We thought requifite. With a light northerly
breeze we unmoored, but in weighing our fmall bower, the cable,
that was afterwards found to be exceflively rotten, broke near the clench
of the anchor; this obliged us to let go the beft bower, until we fhould
recover the other; and by the time this fervice was performed it was
again calm, and we were under the neceflity o f remaining in this uncomfortable
expofed fituation another night, and until eight o’clock the next
morning ; when, although the fame adverfe wind ftill prevailed from the Sundiy 5.
n .w . by n ., we flood to fea, without the leaft regret at quitting a ftation
that I confidered as a very unprotected and unfafe roadftead for fhip-
Ping-
How far the place we had quitted is deferving the denomination o f a
port, I {hall not take upon me exaftly to determine; but in the language
o f mariners it can in no refpeft be confidered as a fafe retreat, for fhips;
not even the ftation occupied by the Spaniards, which I conceived to be
clofe up in the N. N.w. part o f the bay, between the main and a detached
rock lying from the head land, that forms the north-weft point of the
bay, n. 72 F.. about half a mile diftant. There, two or three velfels
moored head aftd fterty may lie in 6 and 7 fathoms water, fandy bottom.
I i 2 The