g l2 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
.794. they had derived from our vifit, bad us farewell after dinner, and we
September. . ,
As Mooetchee is fituated near the upper part of the next branch to
the eaftward of Tahfheis canal, our route was directed back by the
way we had come; and having reached in the evening the dividing point
of thefe two arms of the fea, which is fituated about n . 6 e „ fax or
feven miles from Friendly cove, we pitched our tents for the night, in
order to have the day before us for vifiting Clcwpaneloo, whole habitation
was about feven or eight miles from us ; towards which place, after
Saturday I f breakfaft on faturday morning, we proceeded; and as our vifit was not
intended to be a very long one, the Spanifh launch was left in a plea-
fant fituation, in order to pitch the encampment, and provide a dinner
ao-ainft our return; by which means our journey to the fhip the next
day would be materially Ihortened. Our progrefs was not very rapid,
as both-wind, and the ftream which I believe in general runs down;
were adverfe to our purfuit, which was through a regiofa fo wild and
inhofpitable in its appearance, as occafioned Sen'- Alava frequently to
exprefs his aftonifhment, that it could ever have been anobjea of contention
between our refpeaive fovereigns. The fhores either conftituted
impenetrable forefts, .produced from the Affaires of a rugged rocky
country, or were formed by ftupendous barren precipices, nfing perpendicularly
from fahe water to an immenfe' height; fo that, excepting
the ice and eataraas to which we had been accuftomed in many other m-
ftances, Sen'- Alava was enabled from this fhort excurfion to form
a very complete idea of the general charaaer of thofe countries to the
northward o f this ftation, which had fo long occupied our time and
It was nearly three in the afternoon before we reached the village of
Mooetchee, which confifted of a few houfes huddled together in a cove,
with as little regularity in the difpofal of them as was apparent in the
condua of its inhabitants; who crowded about us, and produced us much
inconvenience, although with the moft inoffenfive and peaceable defign.
Our friend Cletopaneloo, though their chief, feemed not to - poflefs fuf-
ficient influence to reftrain this behaviour, even within his own habitation,
to which we were conduaed by a very narrow paffage be- September.
tweep the houfes; the filth of which, and the combination of fo '— — t
many offenfiv.e exhalations, rendered it highly neceffary to our feelings,
that as much difpatch as poflible fhould be ufed in the diftribu-
tion o f our prefents, which, when effeaed, would leave us perfe&ly
at liberty to depart, without giving the Ieaft offence to our hoft or
to any of his friends. On this pc.cafion, ceremonies fimilar to thofe
praffifed at Tahfheis were here obferved; but the want of order and
decorum, independently of the difference in point of numbers between
Tahfheis and Mooetchee, evinced the fuperiority of Maqumnq!s .authority,
when compared with that of the neighbouring chiefs ; amongfl
whom Ckzvpwdoo was reputed to be one of the .firft in wealth and
power; and I certainly noticed as many of their large fquare boxes, in
which they generally .keep their valuables, in his habitation, as I had
done in almoft ah the other houfes colleaively taken, but what they
contained we did not intirely learn; yet, if credit were to be given to
our landlord, they were all well appropriated, being, according to his
account, filled with the fkins of the fea otter, bear, deer, martin, and
other animals of the country, or with copper, iron, cloth, and other
European commodities.
Our part being performed, and our flore of prefents exhaufted, we returned
to our boats, accompanied by Clevipaneloo, who made us in return
prefents fimilar to thofe we had received from Maquinnq ; to >vhich he
added one infinitely more valuable than all the reft. This was a very
fine buck, juft killed; which being depofited in our boat, we took
l e a v e of Mooetchee, amidft reiterated acclamations of “ Wacojh, Wqcojh
with repeated intreaties of the moft friendly nature to .prolong our flay ;
but as the day was now far advanced, no time was loft in making the
beft of our way towards the ftation where the Spanifh launch had been
left; this we reached in the evening, and found every thing comfortably
prepared for our reception.
As we bent our way homewards the next morning, we flopped at an
anchoring place called by the natives Mowenna, in great repute with
the traders on this coaft, and particularly fo with the Americans. It is
' V , TT . q o fituated ol. III. a s