I l l
150 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
C H A P T E R VI.
Paffage from Cook's inlet to Prince William’s found—Meet a large fleet o f
canoes—Spring thebowfprit in a gale o f wind— Carry away the fore-
yard—Arrive in port Chalmers—Survey o f Prin.ce William’s [found by
the boats—A violent fo rm — Vifited by a few Ruffians—Sortie account o f
their eflabljjhments in the found— Chatham diJA'patched to continue the fu r -
vey o f the coaft eajlward from cape Hinchinbrook— Aflronomical and
nautical obfervations.
Friday 16.
T h e weather was delightfully ferene and pleafant, and the morning
o f the 1 6th was ulhered in by a fight we little expefted in thefe feas. A
numerous fleet of Ikin canoes, each carrying two men only, were about
the Difcovery, and, with thofe that at the fame time vifited the Chatham,
it was computed there could not be lefs than four hundred Indians
prefent. They were almoft all men grown, fo that the tribe to
which they belonged mull confequently be a very confiderable one. They
inftantly and very willingly entered into trade, and bartered away their
hunting and filhing implements, lines and thread, extremely neat and
well made from the finews o f animals; with bags ingenioufly decorated
with needle work, wrought on the thin membrane of the whales intef-
tines; thele articles/ wi^h fome filh, and fome well executed models of
canoes with all their Appendages;- conftituted the articles of commerce
with thefe people, as Well as with our Indian friends in Cook’s inlet; for
excepting thofe'Furs given to me by Chatidooltz’s party, not an article of
this_defcription had been offered for fale, or even feen in the pofleflion
of thé native^, as forming a part of their apparel, as was the Cafe in my
former