condu&èd them into deep, water, when they took their leave and departed.
Mr. Whidbey conlidered them to be rather a more (lender race than we
had been accuftomed to fee, and that, contrary to the generality of the
men we had become acquainted with on the coaft of North Weft America,
theTe did not appear to be jealous of their women, but allowed them to
repair on board the veffel, where they remained many hours at a time
much to their fatisfaftion. They appeared to be divided into three dif-
tinft tribes, or patties, each having one or two chiefs. When inquiries
were made o f any one party refpefting the other two, they would reply
that tire others were bad people, and that the party queftioned were the
only-good Indians in the harbour. Hence may be inferred that they
were at this time at variance, and that their interefts were totally fepa-
rate from each other. Some of their war canoes were feen ; thefe had
a piece of wood rudely carved, perforated, land placed at each end,
three feet above the gunwale ; through thefe holes they are able to
difcharge'their arrows, without expofirig their perfons to their advert
faries, I either in advancing or retreating. Each canoe held twenty
people or upwards % little difference appeared in their bows or arrows
from thofe generally met with ; the former were fomewhat more circular,
and the latter were pointed with iron, copper, or Hu lls, fome of
which were barbed ; thefe feemèd to be their, moft favorite weapon, arid
were managed with great dexterity. One o f the Indians delired the
mate of the Dædalus to fhoot a pelican fitting on the water about fifty
yards off. The mate fired twice with Angle'ball without hurting the
bird, which kept its ftation. The Indian miffed it with the firft arrow,
but with the fécond he pierced through the wing and body o f the-pelican,
to the great exultation o f all the natives prefent. They are well verfed
in commercial purfuits, and dealt very fairly and honeftly. For fea-
otter Ikins they fometimes required iron in exchange, but in general fold
them for copper and woollen cloth. About thirty or forty good fea^
otter Ikins, with many of inferior quality,- were thus purchafed ; for their
lefs valuable commodities they were partial to pale blue beads, two of
which would buy a large falmon. They appeared to be a hardy people,
and
and inured to the inclemency o f the weather; which, when at theworft, >79=-
did not deter them from vifiting the {hip, though the fea frequently .Pec“ -t’e
broke intirely over them. On fuch occafions they bale their canoe, and
paddle on, without the leaft apparent concern.
This is the fubftance of the information acquired by Mr. Whidbey in
his vifit to Gray’s harbour ; and, as the obfervations made on the paffage
of the Daedalus , from thence- to Monterrey, would, like- thofe of the
Chatham, be only a repetition o f what has been already related, I {hall
now proceed to ftate fome interefting intelligence collefted from letters
written off Owhyhee by the late Lieutenant Hergeft, agent to the Daedalus
tranfport, refpeftinghis tranfa&ions at the Marquefas, and the dif-
covery o f fome iflands to the n .w . o f them, with an extrafl from his
log-book on the fame fubjefls ; together with the account given by
Mr. Thomas New the matter o f the unfortunate death o f that officer,
and of the late Mr. Gooch the aftronomer. As the preceding part of
Mr. Hergeft’s voyage appeared by th’e journals-on board to contain no
•very interefting intelligence, the-narrative will-commence on the arrival
of the Daedalus at the Marquefas.
The length o f the paffage from Falkland’s iflands into this ocean, rendered
it neceffar.y that Mr. Hergeft fliould embrace the earlieft opportunity
to recruit his water, and procure refrefhrrients, efpecially as the
charafter, that Had been lately publiffied in England of the inhabitants
on the Sandwich iflands, made it Uncertain that any fupplies would be
procured from that quarter. Having made the Marquefas, Lieutenant
Hergeft direfted his courfe for Refolution bay in the ifland of Ohetahoo ;
where the Daedalus anchored on the evening o f the 2 ad of march, 1792,
in 22 fathoms water, fandy bottom ; having worked into the Bay againft
very heavy fqualls and gufts o f wind, which came down with great fury
from the hills that overlook the fhores.
In one of thefe heavy fqualls,' about-4 o’clock the next; morning; they
parted from their anchor and drove out o f the Bay, The veffel was
fcarcely clear of the points when Mr. Hergeft difcOvered the (hip to be
on fire. They had all been prevented fleeping during the night by the
fliip having been full of fmoke; thofe who had the watch on deck at-
; ' ctributed