j7W- ties, they entertained each other with fongs and dances, according to the
—,— j different cuftoms of each particular tribe.
• A fine breeze having fprung up about noon from the N. w>, the
Chatham quitted port Mulgrave. Here Mr. Puget ftates, that they
were enabled to procure -fome tolerable refrelhments ; the Ihores produced
an abundance of very good wild celery, which had been daily
boiled with portable foup in their peas, and had been eaten alfo as- failed;
but to the bounty o f their Ruffian friend Portoff, they had been
more confiderably indebted, for a conftant. and ample fupply of fiffi,
chiefly halibut, with fome few cod and falmon; Thefe were all he had.
to beflow, but he furnifhed them in fo handfome and fo difinterefted a
manner, as plainly indicated, that he poffeffed a mind and difpofition,.
not only capable of great a£ts 'of generality, but highly intitled to a
more refpeftable poll in civil fociety, than the lot of his fortune feemed
to admit. His behaviour from his firft vifit, had been marked by a
fteady, uniform line of conduft, that manifefted a juft fenfie of thofe
obligations, which although demanded by the rights of hofpitality, are,
when fo very pleafantly conferred, deferving the higheft commendations
and acknowledgments'; befide which, Mr. Puget had little in his power
to offer. Some few trivial articles were however moft thankfully accepted
by Portoff, who took charge of fome books likely to be fervice-
able as a prefent for Mr. Shields, to whom, and likewife to Mr. Berre-
noff, the conductor of the company’s affairs at the Kodiak,. Mr. Puget
wrote in fuch terms of the conduct of this honeft Tailor, as he moft richly
had deferved.
Mr. Puget concludes the account o f his tranfaftions at this place by noticing,
that in failing into port Mulgrave it is necelfary to give a good birth
to point Phipps, in order to avoid a fmall reef that ftretches from it into the
fea. From the inner or north point of this- cape, point Turner lies s. 83 e.,
diftant two miles and three quarters; this point is- bold, and mult be kept
clofe on board, for the purpofe of avoiding the' fhoals that lie at a little
diftance to the eaftward of i t ; between thefe fhoals and the point, good
anchorage is found in 8 to 14 fathoms, clear good holding ground; the
variation by the Chatham’s compafs- was 26° eaftwardly; the rile and fall of
the
the tide perpendicularly was about nine feet, and it was high water 30'
after the moon had paffed the meridian.
The dangers in Beering’s bay, particularly between point Manby and
the iflands forming port Mulgrave, arè confidered to be numerous, fince
feveral rocks were feen, juft fhewing their heads aboye water; but Mr.
Puget had not leifure to undertake a minute examination of thefe latent
dangers, or of the iflands juft mentioned forming the port,, which, by its
fouth-eaftern entrance, is free from any. danger or interruption, and affords
ample fpace to turn in, between the main land and the ifland,
Here the Chatham was employed in reaching the ocean with a wefterly
wind until fix in the evening, when her courfe was dire&ed for Crofs found.
On approaching cape Spencer, a dozen of the "natives in one canoe vi-
fited the brig, all of whom exprefled the fame want of confidence that
had been exhibited to us, and not one of them would venture on board,
without a hoftage being fent into the canoe.. As this ceremony had not
been before obferved by any of our North Weft American vifitors, it was
not at firft comprehended, but on the demand being uriderftood, Mr.
Puget ordered, one of his people into the canoe ; upon which the chief
immediately, repaired on board, and a large fupply of. halibut was foon
purchafed with iron. Whilft this traffic was going on, and the hoftage
remained in the canoe, the chief feemed perfectly finished, and reconciled
to his fituation; but the inftant the man was deftred to come from
out of the canoe on board, the chief returned. This exceffive fufpicion
and diftruft, which had been by no means the general chara&er.of the
North Weft Americans, is not eafily to.be accounted- for; unlefs it be
fuppofed, which is too much to be apprehended, that fome of their civilized
vifitors had given them caufe for adopting this precaution,
Mr. Puget and the gentlemen on board the Chatham had been equally
deceived with ourfelves by the appearance of the ice, and had tacked to
avoid-approaching .too near fome pieces which they had fuppofed to be
rocks; but after difeovering the miftake they foon joined-us as already
mentioned, without noticing either rocks, fhoals, or other interruption
in failing up the found, excepting the ice before mentioned.
CHAPTER