large open boat, to which our gentlemen received a molt friendly invitation.
At this ftation there was only one large houfe, about fifty feet long,
twenty-four wide, and about- ten feet high; this was appropriated to
the refidence of nineteen| Ruffians, under the directions of an elderly
man, who conducted our party .into the houfe by a final] door, that, was
its only entrance, and feated them at a table near the upper or further
end of the habitation, where a repaft, confiding of dried fifh and- cranberries,
was produced; but the offenfive fmell of the houle prevented
any relifh for thefe dainties, and on their holt perceiving a reluCtance
to partake of the refrefhments he had fet before them, he ordered the
cranberries to be taken away, and after they had been beaten up with
fome train oil; they were re-produced, with the hope of their being
rendered in this date more palatable; Thefe hofpitable endeavours
to entertain their vifitors proving unfuccefsful, and. our gentlemen
having facrificed as much to politenefs as their ftomachs would bear,
felt great relief in once more breathing the pure though cold air, and
returned to their tents ; where the badnefs of the weather detained
them the following day, and afforded them an opportunity of repaying
the intended hofpitality of their Ruffian friends, who very heartily
partook of fuch cheer as the party had to . offer.
By the afliftance of a very indifferent interpreter, Mr.Whidbey un-
derltood that the Ruffians had been, at this ftation nearly four years,
yet there was not the leaft appearance o f , cultivation, although .in the
fummer feafon the foil moll probably was capable of producing many
ufeful articles, of food. This, however, .feemed to be of little, moment
to the European refidents, as they appeared to be perfectly content to
live after the manner of the native Indians.,of the country; partaking
with equal relilh and appetite their grofs and naufeous food, adopting
the fame falhion, and ufing tire fame materials for their appapel, and
differing from them in their exterior appearance only by the want of
paint on their .faces, and by their not wearing any, of the Indian ornaments.
So far as any conclufion could be drawn from this fhort interview,
the Ruffians feemed to live upon the moft, intimate terms-of
friendjhip
friendfhip with the Indians of all defcriptions, who appeared to be per- * 794-
feClly fatisfied" in being fubjeCted to the Ruffian authority. —v-— *
The weather proving more favorable, on the 4th the party' again proceeded
early in the morning, and continued their furvey from the north
Foreland along the weftern fnore; where, for the fpace of about 2
leagues to the north of this point, tolerably good anchorage was found,
and commodious communication with the fhore, abounding with wood ►
clofe to the water fide, and affording feveral ftreams of excellent water.
But this fpace Was greatly expofed to the eaft and fouth-eaft winds,
which are evidently the moft prevailing and violent in this country; as
Mr. Whidbey remarked, in every place where he had landed, that all
the trees that had fallen were lying with their heads toward the weft and
N. w., and that all the perennial vegetables alfo were lodged with their
tops in the fame directions. From this extent the fhoals gradually
ftretchedto the diftance of five miles from the fhore, until they joined
on to point Mackenzie; the land between this point and the north
Foreland was. compofed of a low and perfectly compaCt fhore, without
the fmalleft difcernible opening, fo near as the fhoals allowed them to
approach; and having now fully accomplifhed the objeCt of their expedition,
they returned to the fhip.
It now only remained to determine the extent of the place we were in;
and'nötwithftanding that the low water at fpring tides had fufficiently
fhewn that we were- already advanced nearly to its utmoft navigable
boundary, yet fo extraordinary and unexpected a termination of this ex--
tenfivé inlet demanded a more minute inveftigation.
Whilft our wood and water were completing, which the ice had prevented
our accomplifhing; on tuefday morning, accompanied by Mr. Tuerday 6.
Baker, Mr. Menzies, and fome other gentlemen, I departed with the
yawl and fmall cutter, provided with fupplies for four days. Our examination
was directed along the weftern fhore ; and we were not long in
determining that, at a little diftance from the place where we had formerly
founded, the fhoals, which were dry-at low water, connected the
two fhores together; and from an eminence that we afcended, we faw the
fpace beyond, which at high tide becomes an extenfive fheet of watery
R z now