'193- we gained foundings and anchored in 47 fathoms water, near the fouth- ■
September, , which by compafs extended from s. 70 w „ to n . 70 e „ the
latter, being point Colpoys, was about four miles from u s ; a rock above
water, about the fize of the launch, lying in mid-channel, n . 8 e . and
the neareft (hore fouth-eaft, about a quarter o f a mile diftant.
A few Indians had vifited us in the courfe of the day, and by this
time their number had conliderably increafed in fix or {even canoes;
who, after they had performed their ceremonies indicative of friendfhip,
fimilar to thole I have before had occafion to notice, conducted them-
felves very orderly, and when they were made to underfland that it was
time for reft, the whole party immediately retired to the fhore, where
Simdi 8. they remained, though not very filently, until the following morning;
when they repeated their vifit with many fongs, accompanied by a large
augmentation to their party. This addition was principally o f women,
who, without the afliftance of a fingle man, conduced two or three middling
fized canoes, and ufed their paddles with great dexterity. They
were by no means difinclined to entertain us with their vocal abilities;
moftofthe full grown women wore very large lip ornaments, and as we
were now vifited by all ages, an opportunity was afforded o f feeing the
progrefs of this horrid piece of deformity in its feveral ftages. In their
early infancy, a fmall incifion is made in the center of the under lip, and
a piece of brafs or copper wire is placed in, and left in the wound. This
corrodes the lacerated parts, and by confuming the flefh gradually in-
treafes the orifice, until it is fufficiently large to admit the wooden appendage.
The effe&ing of this, if we may be allowed to judge by the
appearance of the young girls who were undergoing this cruel treatment,
was attended with the moll excruciating pain; and which they
feemed to endure for a great length o f time. Thefe women appeared to
poffefs in general a degree of livelinefs, and a cheerful difpofition, very
different from any we had before feen with this hideous mark of diftinc-
tion; and could this tribe be prevailed upon to difpenfe with this barbarous
cuftom, there would have been fome amongft them whofe features
would have intitled them to be confidered as comely.
The
The want of wind which detained us at anchor, gave us an opportunity
o f purchafing from thefe people a large fupply of very good falmon, and a 1— -y—
few fea otter fkins; in return for which they received fpoons, blue cloth,
and tin kettles, with trinkets of different deferiptions. In all the commercial
tranfaftions the women took a very principal part, and proved
themfelves by no means unequal to the tafk. Nor did it appear, that
either in thefe or in any other refpeft they were inferior to the men; on
the contrary, it fhould rather feem that they are looked up to as the fupe-
rior fex, for they appeared in general to keep the men in awe, and under
their fubjeftion. The knowledge we obtained of their manners and cuf-
toms, in our fhort acquaintance, was however too fuperficial to eftablifh
this or any other faft, that did not admit o f ocular demonftration.
Amongft the party there did not appear to be any chief, or other perfon
o f importance, unlefs fuch authority was veiled in fome of the females.
They all conduced themfelves with great honefty, and feemed to have
the utmoft confidence that we fhould govern our condufil towards them
by the fame principles.
A light breeze o f wind fpringing up from the s .e ., we got under fail,
and our Indian friends took their leave. We now direfiled our cohrfe
towards the northern, or what had'been fuppofed to be the continental,
fhore, to the weftward of point Mitchell, intending, as on former oc-
cafions, to furvey as far as we poffibly could in the veffels, before the
boats again were difpatched ; but, on a nearer approach to this fhore, it
proved to be fo incumbered with rocks and rocky iflets, that it became
neceffary to alter our intended mode o f proceeding; and as the weather
began to wear a very threatening appearance, we crofted over to the
fouthem fhore, in order to gain fhelter in the firft place of fecurity that
could be found there, making the Chatham’s fignal to lead in that pur-
fuit; which, from the increafe of the s . e . wind, attended by dark, gloomy
weather, foon became an objeft o f my moft anxious concern.
In the afternoon, the wind, which blew in heavy fqualls, fluffed to the
s.w ., and obliged us to ply in that direction in queft of anchorage; but
we could reach no bottom, even when we tacked clofe in with the fhore.
V ol. Hi 3 G We