1787.
July.
L E T T E R X X X V I .
f £ ,'H O U mayeft fee by the whole tenor of my laft, that ourr
I coafting along thefe iflands was the bell and moft expedi-
tious method of trading we could poflibly have hit on..
In the morning of the n th of July, having a fteady breeze at
North Weft, we ftood in for the land, which at noon bore from
North 55 deg. Weft to South 74 deg. Eaft.. Our meridian altitude
gave 52 deg. 50 min. North latitude, and our diftance from,
lhore was about two miles.. During the afternoon we kept clofe-
along (hore, expecting fome Indians would come off to us ; but at
fix o’clock none appearing, we hauled our wind to the SouthWeft-
At eight o’clock the land bore from Eaft South Eaft to North
Weft by Weft, about three: miles diftant from lhore. During the:
night we had a gale of wind at North Weft, attended with frequent
heavy fqualls, which occafioned us to hand the fore-topfail, and.
clofe-reef the main top-fail.
In the morning of the 12th, the weather growing more moderate,
we made fail, and ftood towards the land. Our latitude at:
noon was 52 deg. 3 min. North. During the afternoon, the wind
blew very frelh, fo that no Indians came near us. At eight in the
evening, the extremes of the land bore from Eaft by North to
North North W eft; diftant from.lhore four leagues.
In:
In the morning of the 13th, the weather was moderate, but very 1787.
hazy ; the land at noon bore from South 65 deg. Eaft, to Noith , . __ ,
60 deg. Weft, about two miles diftant from {hore. Our obferva-
tion gave 52 deg. 17 min. North latitude. We kept dole in with
the lhore during the afternoon, though the weather was ftill very
hazy. A little before feven o’clock, the fog clearing up, we faw fe-
veral canoes making towards us, on which we hauled by the wind,
and hove to, in order to give them an opportunity of coming up
with u s : they were a different tribe from our laft traders, and bi ought
us feveral excellent cloaks, and fome very good Ikins, which we
purchafed on much the fame terms as before. This party confifted
of about thirty-fix people, and, like the tribes we had recently
traded with, were prepared for the reception o f their adverfaries.
Before the day doled in, we had purchaled every article the Indians
had got fo fell; yet they Could not be prevailed on to quit
the Ihip, though we made fail, and gave them to underftand, that
we fhould return the next day; yet they ftill kept up with the vef-
fel. At length, about ten o’clock, a very thick fog coming on, they
left us, and paddled towards the lhore : we were now at leaft eight
miles diftant from the coaft, and it was a matter of doubt with
many of us, whether thefe poor fellows would ever be able to find
their way on lhore, it being impolfible to diftinguifh any objeft
twenty fathoms a-head of the velfel. During the night we hauled
on a wind to the South Weft as ufual.
Froth the 14th to the 20th, we had generally thick foggy weather,
with a conftant ftrong breeze at-North Weft, and frequent
intervening fqualls. As we had reafon to expeft more trade from
this quartet, it was judged moft prudent to Hand off and on occa-
fionally, in order .to prevent our getting top far to the Eaftward;
D d 2 and