otter fkins. But here I muft obferve, that they fet no more
value upon thefe than upon other Jkins, ■which was alfo the
-cafe at K in g George’s Sound, till our people fet a higher price
upon th em ; and even after that, the natives o f both places
wou ld fooner part with a drefs made o f thefe, than with one
made o f the fkins o f wild-cats or o f martins.
The fe people were alfo defirous o f iro n ; but they wanted
pieces eight or ten inches long at leaft, and o f the breadth
o f three or fouT fingers. For they abfolutely rejected fmall
pieces. Confequently, they got but little from us ; iron
h a v in g , b y this time, become rather a fcarce article. T h e
points o f fome o f their fpears or lances were o f that m e ta l;
others were o f co p p e r ; and a few o f bone ; o f which the
points o f their darts, arrows, & c. were compofed. I could
not prevail upon the C h ie f to truft h im fe lf below the upper
d e c k ; nor did he and his companions remain long on board.
But while we had their company, it was neceffary to watch
them narrowly, as they foon betrayed a thieviih difpofition.
At length, after being about three or four hours along-fide
the Refolution, they all left her, and went to the D ifco v e ry ;
none having been there before, except one man, who, at
this time, came from her, and immediately returned thither
in. company with the reft. When I obferved this, I
thought this man had met with fomething there, w hich he
kn ew would pleafe his countrymen better than what they
met with at our fhip. But in this I was miftaken, as will
foon appear.
As foon as the y were gone, I fent a boat to found the head
o f the bay. For, as the wind was moderate, I had thoughts
o f la y in g the fhip afhore, i f a convenient place could be
fo u n d ¡where I might begin our operations to flop the leak.
K was not long before all the Americans left the Difcovery,;
and inftead o f returning to us, made their w ay toward our
boat employed as above. T he officer in her feeing this, returned
to the fhip, and was followed b y all the canoes. The-
boat’s crew had no fooner come on board; lea vin g in her
two o f their number by w a y o f a gu ard, than fome o f the
Americans ftepped into her. Some prefented their fpears before
the two men ; others eaft loofe the rope w hich faftened
heruo the. fhip and .the reft attempted to tow .her away*
But the inftant they faw us preparing to oppofe them,, they
let her go, ftepped out. o f her into-, th e ir . canoes, and made
figns to us to la y down our arms, ha vin g the appearance o f
b e in g as perfectly unconcerned as i f they had done nothing
amifs. T his , though rather a more daring, attempt, was
hardly equal to what. they had meditated on board thè Dif-
covery. The man who came and carried all his country-;
men from the Refolution to the othèr fhip, had firft been on
Board o f her ; where, after lookin g down all the hatchways,
and feeing nobody but the officer o f thè watch; and One or
two more, he no doubt thought they m igh t plunder h e r
with eafe ; efpecially as fhe la y at fome diftance from us;
K was unqueftionably-with this view, that they all repaired ■
to her. Several of- them; without, any ceremony, went o n -
board ; drew their knives ; made, figns to the officer and
people on deck-to keep o ff ■, and began to look about them-
for plunder. T he firft thin g.th ey met w ith was the rudder
o f one o f the boats,- which they threw over-board to thofe e
Of their party who had remained in the canoes. Before
they had time to find another objeiit that pleafed their fancy, .
th e c rew were alarmed, and began to come upon deck armed :
w ith cutlaffes. On feeing this, the whole company o f plun-,
dèrers fneaked o ff .into, their..canoes, with as much deli-,
6;. beration ;