defcribed. Here the party halted for the night, and at day-light the
next morning returned. On the eaftern fide o f this canal, near the
head of a fmall rivulet, they had noticed on the preceding evening a
houfe of a very lingular conftruftion, but perceived no figns of its being
inhabited. As they now advanced fome fmoke was obferved, and three
Indians approached them with much caution, and fhewing great difap-
probation at their landing; on receiving fome nails and trinkets they
however became reconciled, and attended Mr. Johnftone with fome o f
the gentlemen of his party to their habitations. Thefe were found to
be of a different conftruftion from any they had before feen; they were
erefted on a platform fimilar to that feen in my late excurfion, and mentioned
as being railed and fupported near thirty feet from the ground
by perpendicular fpars of a very large fize; the whole occupying a fpace
o f about thirty-five yards by fifteen, was covered in by a roof of boards
lying. nearly horizontal, and parallel to the platform; it feemed to be
divided into three different houfes, or rather apartments, each having a
feparate accefs formed by a long tree in an inclined pofitio-n from the
platform to the ground, with notches cut in it by way o f Heps, about a
foot and a half afunder. Up one o f thefe ladders Mr. Johnftone, with
one of his party only, was fuffered to afcend, and by removing a broad
board placed as a kind of door on the platform where the ladder refled,
they entered on a fmall area before the door of the houfe, or apartment
to which the ladder belonged. Here they found four of the natives
polled, each bearing a rude weapon made o f iron, not unlike a dagger.
They only permitted Mr. Johnftone to look about him, and feemed
much averfe to his entering the houfe, which he prudently did not in-
fift upon ; but fo far as he was able to obferve within doors, their internal
arrangements differed little or nothing from the domeftic ceconomy
of the Indians already feen on North Weft America. The number of
inhabitants feen at this curious place did not exceed a dozen or fourteen,
but amongft them were neither women nor children. Mr. Johnftone
difcovered from this that their landing had excited no fmall degree
o f alarm; which greatly fubfided on their departure. Three very
fmall canoes only were feen, and thefe feemed, from their conftruftion,
capable
capable of performing no other fervice than that of fifhing in the fmall
ftreams, that are frequently met with at the head of thefe canals. At
the mouth of the creek were a great number of wicker fifh pots, which
induced the party to afk for fomething to eat, but inftead o f fifh, the
natives brought them a kind of pafte or bread, fuppofed to be made from
the inner rind of the pine. Their language was quite new to our party,
and they appeared to be totally unacquainted with that of Nootka.
From this curious place of refidence Mr. Johnftone came back along
the eaftern fhore, and about five miles from the termination of the canal
he obferved the latitude to be 520 4'. About feven the next morning
( i f t o f june) the arm leading to the north-eaftward was entered; this
was found about 1 mile and a quarter wide, lying in a direftion o f N. 62 E.
from its north point of entrance; and, at the diftance o f eleven miles,
it terminated in the ufual way; in latitude 52° 26', longitude 2330 16'.
Here was another habitation o f the fame fort. Having now completed
the examination of this branch, the party returned along its northern
fhores, and at the point of entrance Mr. Johnftone found my direftions
to return to the veflejs, which they reached in the forenoon o f the next
day. In their way they faw feveral bears; two young cubs were killed,
and proved excellent eating.; j
I now direfted Mr. Johnftone to proceed immediately and examine
the arm leading to the north north-weftward, which I had paffed on the
forenoon of the 7th ; to follow it as far as it might lead, or his provi-
fions allow, and to return to its entrance, where he would find the
veflels at anchor near the two fmall iflands; but in the event o f his
bufinefs being finifhed before the fhips fhould arrive, he was to leave a
note on the northernmoft of the iflands, mentioning his arrival and departure,
and proceed to the furvey of the coaft further to the wellward,
and to gain every information with refpeft to the channel we had difcovered
leading to fea. With thefe direftions, and a week’s proviftons,
attended by Mr. Barrie in the Difcovery’s fmall cutter, he departed in
the forenoon.
I had intended to proceed with the {hips the next morning, but on
vifiting the obfervatory, I found another day’s correfponding altitudes
N n 2 would