and at the fame time to be well in with the land) whenever the fog
fhould clear up.
We had a meridian altitude on the 18th, which gave 51 deg. 46
min. North latitude; and the mean of feveral fets of lunar obferva-
tions gave 131 deg. 22 min. Weft longitude. The weather was-
not fo conftantly foggy, but that we frequently faw the land, and
twice or thrice were clofe in with the fhore, fo that the natives
might eafily have come to us, but none appearing, we began feri-
oufly to think, that the Indians who left us in the evening of the
13 th were loft at fea, and confequently no more would come near
the velfel, as they might poffibly conclude that we had deftroyei
their companions.
Our latitude at noon on the 20th was 32 deg. r min. North; lo
that we were only fixteen miles to the Southward of our obferva-
tion on the 13 th. The day being moderate and* dear, we ftood in
for the land, and feeing feveral canoes making towards us, about
one o’clock wehove to. When the canoes camealong-fide, wefound
the people to be the fame that traded with us laft, a circumftanee
which gave us great pleafure, our fears for- their fafety being
groundlefs.
What furs they now brought were of an inferior kind, confifting
chiefly of old cloaks, pretty much wore; thefe were generally pur-
chafed with brafs pans, knives, and buckles. The Indians being,
ftripped of all their furs, left the veffel immediately, and at four
o’clock we made fail, ftretching to the South Weft as ufual.
During the night, and greateft part of the 21ft, we had a ftrong
North Wefterly breeze, with frequent fqualls. Our obfervation at
noon
N O R T H -W E S T C O A S T OF AM E R I C A .
noon gave 51 deg. 54 mm. North latitude. In the evening we had 1787.
a very heavy fwell from Weft South Weft, which being met by the -----
tide, caufed the heavieft crofs fea we had feen during the Voyage.
The weather on the 22d was moderate and hazy; our obfervation
at noon gave 32 deg. 10 min. North latitude. During the
afternoon we made fliort boards, in order to keep well m with the
eoaft.
I n the morning of the 23d we had light winds, the weather M l
hazy. Our latitude at noon was 52 deg, 13 mm. North. The
afternoon proving tolerably clear, about feven o’clock we faw feveral
canoes making towards us, on which we hove to 1 our dif-
tance from Ihore was then about five miles. There were eight
canoes, containing near one hundred people, many of whom had
been with us on the 13th and 20th : they brought feme pretty good
cloaks, and a few good fkins, which we purchased for toes and
buckles. During the night we hauled by the wind as ufual tacking
occafionally, fo as to keep near the l andthe weather moderate
and hazy.
Towards noon on the 24th, the fog clearing up, we perceived feveral
canoes putting off from fhore, on which w.e lay to, m order
to give them an opportunity of coming up with us. In lefs than-
an hour we had eleven canoes along-fide, containing near 180 men,
women, and children, which was by far the greateft concourfe of ^
people we had feen at any one time, fmee we had fallen m with
thefe fortunate iflands 1 but we foon found that cunofity had chiefly
induced the natives, to pay us this vifit, what they now brought
to fell beingmerely the gleanings of the harveft we had plentifully
reaped before : indeed till now, we had feldom feen any women or
^ „ children