1794* ward with more eagernefs, but on a fecond fhot being fired at the canoe
Auguft. ^ inftantly retreated with all poflible fpeed, and were foon again behind
the point: yet as Mr.- Whidbey fufpefted theymight .be inclined to
attempt by furprize, that which they dared not venture to do openly, he
haftened the meal of. his party, and put off from the Ihore; this was
fcarcely effected, when his conjeftures were proVed to have been well
founded, by the appearance of a number of armed people iffuing from
the woods, exaftly. at the fpot where, our party,had dined; and. nearly
at the fame inftaht of time, the canoe was again feen paddling round; the
point of the cove.
This conduct, on the part of the Indians, greatly attraQed the ob-
fervation of the party, and whilft they were watching the motions o f
thefe people, their attention was fuddenly and moft agreeably called
toanobjeft of more pleafing concern.; that o f the boats unde£ Mr. Jobn-
ftone’s direftion, coming within fight about two: miles diftant.
The ftratagem thus praftifed by thefe Indians is alone fufficient, to {hew,
that our apprehenfions on board, for the fafety of our abfent friends,
had not been without reafoni; and it is one, among!! many other eir-
cumftances, which taught me to, believe, that We were but jult in
time, for 'the accom.plilhment of the arduous; and hazardous fervice in
which we had been fo, long, engaged; as the very .unjuftifiable conduft
of, the traders on this, coaft, has encouraged the inhabitants to attempt
{uch a£ls of hoftility, that the means we poffelfed to repel their attacks,
would, in all probability, have been iriiifficient for our protection, had
it been pur lot to have tried the experiment one year later., .
On the fight of the two other boats all the Indians' difappeared, and
our two. parties were not long before their forces were united.' It was
immediately underftood 'that Mr. Johnftone. had examined the coaft
from cape Decifion to this Ration. On this occafion Mr. Whidbey remarks,
that it is not poffible for language to defcrjbe the joy that was
manifefted. in every countenance, on thus meeting their comrades and
fellow-adventurers, by winch happy circumftance, a principal, objeft of
the voyage was brought to a conclufion ; and the hearty congratulations
that were mutually exchanged by three cheers, proclaimed not only the
pleafure
pleafure that was felt in the accomplishment of this laborious fervice, ^790 _
but the zeal with which it had been carried into execution, and the lau- t- —,— J
dable, pride that had been entertained by both parties, in having been
inftrumental to the attainment of fa grand an objeCL
The little fquadron now proceeded to a cove about a league to the
weftward, where they took, up their abode for the night. In the courfe
of the evening no fmall portion of facetious mirth pafied amongft the
feamen, in confequeiice of our having failed from old England on the
jb jt o f April, for the purpofe of difcovering a north-weft paffage, by
following up the difcoveries: of De Fuca, De Fonte, and a. numerous train;
of hypothetical navigators,; ■ f
Early in the morning of the 17th both parties fat out on their return
to port Conclufion, and being favored with a frelh gale from the s.e.
they mad^great progrefs under fail.
In the event of the two parties meeting; and eonfequently a finifhing
ftroke being put to the examination of the fhores of N orth-Weft America,
within the limits, of my commifliqn ; Mr. Whidbey had my directions
to take poffeflion of the faid continent, from New Georgia north-
weftward to cape Spencer, as alfo, of all the adjacent iflands we had
difcovered within thofe limits; in the name of, and for, His Britannic
Majefty, his heirs, and fucceffors ; this, on the parties, flopping
to dine, was carried into execution; the colours were difplayed, the
boats1 crews drawn up under arms, and poffelfion taken under the dif-
eharge of three vollies o f mulketry, with all the other formalities ufual
on fuch oceafions, and a double allowance of grog was ferved tO;the re-
fpeftive crews, for-the purpofe of drinking His Majefty s health. The
happy meeting of the two parties, having taken place on the birth-day of
His Royal Highnefs Frederick Duke o f York, the found in which they
met I honored with the name of P rince F r ed e r ic k ’s Sound, and
the adjacent continent, north-weftward from New Cornwall to Grofs
found, with that of N ew N o r fo lk .
From hence the boats made the belt of their way t©> the veffels, without
any particular occurrence,; until they arrived at port Conclufion,
when the wind blowing very hard from, the fouthward, brought with it
•. ' ■ ' . a heavy