u?8- but was neceflary for us. However, I was miftaken ; fo r .
April. 1 ' 1 1 r - »
«— .— the moment that our men began to cut, fome o f the inhabitants
interpofed, and wou ld not permit them to proceed,
fay in g they muft “ makpnk-,” that is, muft firft b u y it. I
Was'now in one o f the h o u fe s ; but as foon as I heard o f
this, 1 went to the. field, where I found about a dozen o f the
natives, each o f whom laid claim to fome part o f the grafs
that g rew in this place. I bargained with them fo j it, and
ha vin g completed the purchafe, thought that we were now
at liberty to cut wherever we pleafed. But here, again,
it appeared, that I was under a ^ i f t a k e ; for the liberal
manner in w hich I had paid the firft pretended proprietors,
brought freih. demands upon me from others; fo that there
did not feem to be a fingle blade o f grafs, that had not a
feparate ow n e r ; and fo many o f them were to be fatisfied',
that I ve ry foon emptied my pockets. When they found,
that I really had. nothing more to give, their importunities
ceafed, and we were permitted to cut wherever we pleafed,
and as much as we chofe to carry away.
Here I muft obferve, that I have no where, in m y feveral
voyages, met with any uncivilized nation, or tribe, who had
fuch ftridt notions o f their having a right to tire exclufive
property o f every thing, that their country produces, as the
inhabitants o f this Sound. At firft, they wanted our people
to pay for the wood and water that they carried on board ;
and h^.d I been upon the fpot, when thefe demands were
made, I Ihould certainly have complied with them. Qur
workmen, in m y abfence, thought d iffe ren tly ; for they
took but little notice o f fuch claims ; and the natives,
when they found that we were determined to pay nothing,
at laft ceafed to apply. But they made a merit o f
n e c e ffity ; and frequently afterward, took occafion to remind
mind us, that they had g iv en us wood and water out o f >778-
. fciendlhip*.
Du rin g the time I was at this villa ge , Mr. Webber, who
had attended me thither, made drawings o f every thing
that was curious, both within and without doors. I had
alfo an opportunity o f infpecfting, more narrowly, the con-
ftru&ion o f the houfes, houfehold furniture, and utenfils,
and the ftrikin g peculiarities o f the cuftoms and modes o f
liv in g o f the inhabitants. Thefe lh a ll be defcribed in another
place, in the beft manner. I can, ca llin g in to my aflifb
ance the obfervations o f Mr. Anderfon. When w e had completed
all our operations at this village, the natives and we
parted very good friends; and we got back to the ihips in
the afternoon.
T h e three fo llow in g days were employed in ge ttin g ready Thurf&yij.
to put to fea ; the fails were bent; the obfervatories and in- sfturfay4« .
ftruments, brewing veffels; and other things, were moved
from the ihore ; fome fmall fpars, for different ufes, and
pieces o f timber, w h ich might be occafionally fawn into
boards, were prepared and put on b o a rd ; and both ihips
were cleared, and put into a failin g condition.
Every thing being now ready, in the morning o f the 26th, Sunday 26.
I intended to have put to fea; but both wind and tide being
againft us, was obliged to wait till noon, when the South
Weft wind was fucceeded by a ca lm ; and the tide turning
* Similar to the behaviour o f the natives o f Nootka, on this occafion, was that-
o f anp.ther . tribe of. Indians, farther North, in. latitude 5 7 ° 18 ', to the Spaniards,
who had preceded Captain Cook only three years, in a voyage to explore the coaft of
America, Northward o f California. See the journal o f that voyage, writ by the
fecond pilot o f the fleet, and publiihed by the Honourable M r. Daines Barrington,
to whom the literary world owes-fo many obligations. Mifcellanies, p. 505, 506.
in