334 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
C H A P T E R V.
A n extenjive boat excurfion— Party attacked by the natives—AJlronomical
and nautical obfervations.
Wednef, 24.
M a t t e r s being all adjufted and arranged, we departed at five o’clock
on wednefday morning, in thick, rainy, unfavorable weather, which
continued until the forenoon, when it became fair and pleafant. Our
courfe was firft direfted along the eaftern Ihore, which, from our anchorage
on the night o f the 22d, took a direction n . 14 e . for fix miles;
We palled an illand to the weft o f us, two miles long and half a mile
broad, lying nearly in the fame direftion, about three fourths o f a mile
from the eaftern Ihore; and having reached this extent, we entered a narrow
arm, leaving to the weft a coaft apparently much broken, and divided
by water.
As we rapidly advanced up this arm, with a foutherly wind, and a
flood tide in our favor, its width increafed to about a mile, and taking
a winding courfe to the e .n .e ., it was terminated by a low border of
land, in latitude 55° 26, longitude 230° 36'.
We flopped to dine about a mile Ihort o f the low border of land, which
■ compofed the head of the arm. Here we were vifited by feven o f the natives,
who approached us in a canoe with much caution, and landed fome
o f their party at a little diftance, whilft the others advanced, feeming-
ly with no fmall fufpicion of our friendly intentions ; this, however,
was foon removed by the diftribution o f fome trivial prefents amongft
them ; and their reception being made known to their companions who
had landed, thefe without the leaft hefitation joined our party alfo. They
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 335
were well prepared with'arms, confifting o f long fpears, bows and arrows, *793-
together with an iron dagger, that each man wore about his neck or wrift. ■ . 1
The chief o f this party was foon pointed out, who, by means o f figns
eafily underftood, defired to partake o f our repaft. He was given
fome bread and dried fifh, and afterwards a glafs o f brandy, all which
were much relilhed by himfelf, and two or three o f his friends. Thefe
people differed very little from the generality of the circumjacent natives,
and rather feemed to be an exception to the trivial differences pointed out
in thofe few inhabitants who vifited us in Filhmonger’s cove. Their language
appeared to be fimilar in fome refpecis to that fpoken at Queen Charlotte’s
iflands, at leaft a few common-place expreflions of that language
were underftood by thefe people. They made ufe o f thefe, with many
figns, to folicit us to vifit their habitations, pointing out their fituation to
be on the low land, at the head o f the arm; but as it was out of our
route, we declined their invitations, and, with a favorable ebb-tide, returned
towards die entrance o f the arm, being accompanied by thefe our new
acquaintances, who were foon joined by another party from the village
in a fmaller canoe. On finding however that we did not return for the
purpofe of trading, they all retired to the village.
About eight in the evening we reached the entrance o f this arm, where
We took up our abode for the night. The land of the fhores which we
had thus traced, was, comparatively fpeaking, low, yet the interior country
rofe fuddenly, and terminated our view by a range of high barren mountains,
moftly covered with fnow. The foil o f the lower parts, near the
fhores, is chiefly compofed of a light moffy fubftance, formed by the decay
of trees and other vegetable produftions, lying on an uneven rocky
fubftance, which is the general foundation, of this country, and-of all the
coaft we had yet feen this feafon.
A t four o’clock the next morning we proceeded again, with thick Thurfdayzs.
cloudy weather, attended-with fome flying fhowers of rain. Our courfe
was direfted up the branch that appeared to be the main arm of the inlet,
through a narrow paflage, occafioned by an illand lying in mid-channel,
about a league long, and three quarters of a mile broad, and having near
it fome rocks and breakers, like that we palled the preceding day. From