*793-
Auguft.
to be nearly compaft, with one or two fmall bays only, and a few detached
iflets lying at a little diftance from i t ;. whilft the eaftern fhore,
along which we palled, was confiderably broken. Its feveral inlets
however were difregarded, as we had barely time to obtain at the different
ftations the neeeflary angles for fixing the general outline o f the
fhores of this channel, whofe width as we advanced appeared to increafe
from l to nearly 2 leagues. '
As our route was direfted to one o f thefe neceffary ftations, fome of
the natives were obferved in their canoes near the fhore; four o f thefe
canoes appearing to be large and well manned, went towards the launch,
then fome diftance aftern of us ; and by their finging, which we heard,
appeared to be very peaceably inclined. We were alfo vifited by a fmall
canoe containing only two o f the natives, who approached us, without
hefitation, and with the greateft good humour accepted fuch trifling pre-
fents as were offered to them, and made known our. friendly behaviour
to fome of their affooiates who were ftill on the fhore. Thefe, apparently
at the inftance of the other two, came off in two fmall canoes,
that juft reached us as we were putting on fhore for the purpofe of taking
the requifite angles. Their behaviour was civil and inoffenfive, and they
feemed ■ equally! well fatisfied with the prefents that were diftributed
amongft them. They offered their fkins and other commodities to barter,
which were accordingly exchanged; and thus, without the leaft ap-
prehenfion On our parts of any evil defign in thefe people, who like
moll of the natives we had lately feen were well armed, I landed, leaving
Mr. Puget in the yawl, ufing his endeavours to entertain our new vifi-
tors. In a little time they became extremely clamorous, and were hallowing
to the large canoes that were near the launch. On my return
into the boat, Mr. Puget informed me that the natives had betrayed a
very thievifh difpofition, and that he had great reafon to fufpeft they
were inclined to be turbulent. I immediately ordered the boat from off
the fhore, hoping by that means to get quit of them, but in this attempt
they were exceffively troublefome ; the number of their canoes was by
this time four or five, fin thefe they laid fall hold by the boats quarters,
calling ou t“ Winnee -matter” ; though at our folicitations they frequently
quitted
quitted their hold, but which they almoft inftantly again refumed; we had '793-
however put off from the rocks, and had partly got the ufe of our oars, i Augu<t~,
without being obliged to refort to any hoftile meafures, when the largeft
o f the canoes, under the fteerage of an old woman, with a remarkably
large lip ornament, laid us on board acrofs the b ow; this vixen inftantly
fnatched up the lead line that was lying there, and lafhed her canoe
with it to the boat; whilft a young man, appearing to be the chief of the
party, feated himfelf in the bow of the yawl, and put on a mafic, re-
fembling a wolf’s face,- compounded with the human countenance.
About this time the Indian who had firft vifited us, watching his opportunity,
ftole a mufket out o f the boat. Our fituation was now become
very critical and alarming; we had difcovered too late the treacherous
defigns of thefe people, and to add to our embarraflment, the
launch was yet too far diftant to afford us any immediate fuccour. The
only chance we had for our prefervation, was, if poffible, to ward off
the blow by a kind of parley, until our friends might come up, who
were haftening with their utmoft exertions to our affiftance. With thefe '
ideas, I went forward with a mufket in my hand in order to fpeak to the
chief; on which the furrounding Indians, about fifty in number, feized
their daggers, brandifhed their fpears, and pointed them towards us,in
all direftions. I was not yet without hopes of effefting an amicable reparation,
without being under the neceffity of reforting to extremities.
The chief inftantly quitted the boat at my requeft, and gave me to un-
derftand by figns, that if I would lay down my mufket, his people would
lay down their arms; on my difpofing of my gun, the conditions were
complied with on all fides, and tranquillity appeared likely to be re-
ftored; nor do I believe that any thing further would have happened,
had they not been inftigated by the vociferous efforts of their female
coriduftrels; who feemed to put forth all the powers of her turbulent
tongue to excite, or rather to compel the men, to aft with hoftility
towards us. Her language appeared to have the moft effeft upon thofe
who were towards the ftern of our boat, and who were likewife greatly
encouraged by a very ferocious looking old man in a middling fized canoe.
This .old fellow, aflifted by his companions, feized hold o f our oars on
the