their lives would be in danger, as the Indians were well armed with
May- knives and {pears : our yawl was alfo difpatched to aflift, ifnecef-
fary; and Captain Dixon, at the fame moment, fired a fwivel, the
report o f which, we could fee, alarmed the Indians, who immediately
paddled off with precipitation.
When our people came on board, we found our fears for their
fafety were not groundlefs. The Indians had attempted to Heal
their anchor, and had actually taken feveral of their fifhing-lines;
nay, one of them attempted to run his fpear through a young fellow,
becaufe he refufed to give up his line, but was prevented by
Shanway, who, fortunately for the people, was, it feems, of a pacific
difpofition, and contented himfelf with plundering in quiet. ’
Thefe were fufficient cautions to us in future-, not to truft any
Indians, even to come on board : indeed Captain Meares had in-
formed us, that a {hip from China had a quarrel with the inhabitants
of King George’s Sound, in which feveral of the Indians loft
their lives; and that the natives afterwards traded with as much
unconcern as if nothing had happened.
Our fiftiing party had tolerable fuceefs; they caught a large-
quantity o f fand-dahs,. and a few roek-fifh.
The birds and marine productions-here are much the fame as in
the firft bay we anchored in ; and it is probable there may be fal-
mon farther on in the feafon, when the heat of the fu-n, by melting
the fnow, caufes frelh water rivulets; but at this time, it had
fcarcely made any impreffion on that dreary element; and the furrounding
profpect teemed with all the horrors of winter. The
night-night
tides flow here much higher than in the day-time, though I
cannot fay, with any degree of certainty, how high they rife.
We now waited with an anxiety bordering on impatience, for a
fair wind to carry us from this place, and a light breeze fpringing
up at South Eaft, at four o’clock in the morning of the 14th, we
weighed anchor and flood out of the bay. Towards noon, the
wind veered to South Weft, which was quite favourable for our
{landing up the channel into Prince William’s Sound, By noon,
we had the North point of Montague Ifland in fight, bearing
North Eaft : our obfervation gave 60 deg. 23 min. North latitude ■,
and we found the variation of the compafs 29 deg. 46 min. Eaft-
erly. , 1
In the afternoon, the breeze frefhening, Captain Dixon went on
board the King George, to take leave of Captain Portlock, as we
were drawing near the place where it was agreed for us to feparate.
At feven o’clock he returned on board; and we hoifted in our boats,
parting company with our colours flying, and three hearty cheers.
Captain Portlock fleered for Hinchinbrooke Cove., and we kept
.{landing for the paffage between Cape Hinchinbrooke and Montague
Ifland. During the night we had the wind at North Weft,
- ftill blowing a moderate breeze. -
At four o’clock in the morning of the 15th, Cape Hinchinbrooke
bore North Weft half Weft, about eight leagues diftant,
and the land to the Northward North 35 deg. Eaft; the extremes
of Montague Ifland bore from South 55 deg. Weft, to Weft North
Weft. We founded in thirty- five fathom water, over a fandy bottom.
At eight,- Cape Hinchinbrooke bore North 63 deg. Weft.
During the former part of the day, the wind leffened, and at noon
we