in our favour, w e call o ff the moorings, and w ith our
boats towed the fhips out o f the cove. After this, w e had
variable ligh t airs and. calms, till four in the afternoon,
w hen a breeze fprung up Northerly, with v e ry thick, h a zy
weather. T h e mercury in the barometer fell un u fu a lly
lo w ; and we had every other fore-runner o f an approachin
g ftorm, w hich w e had reafon to expedí; would be from
the Southward. This made me helitate a little, as night was
at hand, whether I fhould venture to fail, or wait till the
next morning. But my anxious impatience to proceed upon
the voyage, and the fea r o f lofing this opportunity o f g e ttin
g out o f the Sound, m a k in g a greater impreifion on my
mind, than any apprehenfion o f immediate danger, I determined
to put to fea at all events.
Our friends, the natives, attended us, till we were almoft
out o f the Soun d ; fome on board the fhips, and others in
their canoes. One o f their Chiefs, who had, fome time before,
attached h im fe lf to me, was amongft the laft who left
us. Having, before he went, bellowed upon him a fmall
prefent, I received in return, a beaver-ikin, o f much greater
value. T h is called upon me to make fome addition to my
prefent, w hich pleafed him fo much, that he infilled upon
m y acceptance o f the beaver-ikin cloak w hich he then
wore -, and o f which I kn ew he was particularly fond.
Struck with this inilance o f generofity, and defirous that he
ihould be no fufferer by his friendfliip to me, I prefented to
him a new broad-fword, w ith a brafs h i l t ; the polleffion o f
which made him completely happy. He, and alfo many
others o f his countrymen, importuned us much to pay
them another v if it ; and, by w a y o f encouragement, pro-
mifed to la y in a good flock o f íkins. I make no doubt,
that whoever comes after me to this place, w ill find the na-
3 tives
tives prepared accordingly, w ith no inconfiderable fu p p ly ' 77?-
o f an article o f trade, which, they could obferve, w e were 1 — ».
eager to pofiefs ; and which we found could be purchafed
to great advantage.
Such particulars about the country, and its inhabitants, as
came to our knowledge, during our fhort flay, and have
not been mentioned in the courfe o f the narrative, w ill fu r -
nifh materials for the two fo llow in g Chapters.