*793* September.
Our party immediately put themfelves oh the defenlive, and made
ligns to the Indians to keep off ; to this they paid no attention, and
Mr. Johnftone feeing that they ftili advanced directly towards the boats,
ordered a mufket to be fired before them ; but this having no effect, a
fwivel, loaded with grape (hot, was fired, fufficiently a-'head o f them to
avoid doing any harm, but near enough to {hew its effect. They now
made a temporary halt, but foon pulhed forward again ; a mulket was
then fired over the main body of the canoes, on which they flopped until
the boats rowed paft them, when they paddled over to the oppofite
{hore. So large a body o f the natives coming fo unawares upon our
boats was the occafion of much alarm, particularly as in paffing clofe
along the Ihores, no figns had been obferved of their being inhabited.
Being unacquainted with the caufe of their affembling, and their numbers
being fo great, Mr. Johnftone very prudently declined any nearer acquaintance,
left their intentions ftiould have been hoftilely directed, which
there was too great reafon to apprehend; as no fuch party had vifited
the {hip at any one time, or had been feen in fuch numbers together. As
■ they were informed of the abfence of our boats, it is not very improbable
that the whole force of the neighbourhood might have been colla
ted on this occafion, to intercept our party on their return ; ; yet, on
the other hand, their having been fo eafily deterred from any molef-
tation which they might have intended, though fuperior in numbers,
makes it equally probable that the meeting was purely accidental on
the part of the natives. A light breeze {ponging up, favorable to the
boats, they kept under fail all night, and arrived on board as before related.
CH A P T E R
C H A P T E R VII.
Leave port Stewart, and proceed to the north-wejtward— Vipted by the natives—
p ort Protection—Account o f boat excurjions— Proceed to the fouth-
ward—Defcription o f port Protection—Departure thence—Pajfage along
the wejtern fide o f Queen Charlotte’s i/lands to Nootka— Quit Nootka,
ocptcrnocp,
A L M weather prevented our moving until the morning of the 5th, ij.hurlj”y6’
when, by the aftiftance of all our boats, we directed our courfe towards
cape Caamano intending to proceed with the veffels by the channel
through which Mr. Johnftone had returned to the branch which he
confidered as communicating with the ocean; and to profecute our further
inquiries from fome convenient ftation in that neighbourhood.
On the approach of evening I endeavoured to find anchorage near
the continental {hore, but without fuccefs ; this rendered our fituation
very unpleafant, as we were reduced to the neceflity either o f returning to
the place from whence we had come, or of keeping under fail all night,
to which the gloomy and threatening appearance of the weather gave
little encouragement. As the day clofed in the wind increafed to a
ftrong gale from the fouth-eaft, attended with dark, mifty, rainy weather,
that occafioned us a very irkfome uncomfortable night, being compelled
to turn to windward towards cape Caamano, through a channel
not a league in width, whofe Ihores on either fide were bounded by many
lurking and dangerous rocks; thefe, however, we very providentially
efcaped, and, by four in the morning, reached a more fpacious and na- Friday 6,
vigable opening at the jun&ion of two branches. Here the hawfer
by.