acceptable to thee. There is every reafon to fuppofe, not only
from the number of inlets we met with in coaft ing along the
fhore, but from our meeting the fame inhabitants on the oppofite
fides of the coaft, that this is not one continued land, but rather
forms a group of iflands ; and as fuck, we diftinguifhed them by
the name of Queen Charlotte’s Jjlands. They are fituated from 51
•deg. 42 min. to 54 deg. 24 mm. North latitude ;and from 130 deg.
to 133 deg. 30 min. Weft longitude. The land, in fome places,
is confiderably elevated, but not mountainous, and is totally covered
with pines, which in many places afford a plealing contraft
to the fnow that perpetually covers the higher grounds.
The weather, whilft we were cruizing here, was generally mild
and temperate, the mean o f the thermometer 54 deg. The whole
time we -coalbed along from Cloak Bay to Cape St. James, the wind
was generally fteady, at North Weft and Weft North Weft; but
tio fooner had we doubled the Cape, and got to the North Eaft
fide of the land, than we fell in with light variable winds and intervening
calms.
The number of people we faw during the whole of our traffic,
was about eight hundred and fifty; and if we fuppofe an equal
number to be left on Ihore, it will amount to one thoufand feven
hundred inhabitants, which, I have reafon to think, will be found
the extreme number of people inhabiting thefe iflands, including
women and children. The great plenty of furs we met with here,
fufficiently indicated that thefe people have had no intercourfe whatever
with any civilized nation; and I doubt not, but we may juftly
claim the honour of adding thefe iflands to the geography of this
part of the coaft. The ornaments feen amongft them were very
fe ,v, and ’tis probable that their knives and fpears have been obtained
tallied by war rather than traffic, as there fcems to be an univerfal 1787.
Variance amongft the different tribes; however, be all this as it
may, they undoubtedly approach much nearer to a ftate of favage
brutality than any Indians we have feen on the coaft.
The women diftort the under lip in the fame manner with thofe
at Norfolk Sound, but with this difference, that here, this wooden
ornament leems to be wore by all the fex indifcriminately, whereas
at Norfolk Sound it is confined to thofe of fuperior rank.
The Indians in general are very jealous of their women, and
' would feldom permit them to come on board ; but this was not
altogether the cafe with thefe favages, many of whom not only
permitted, but urged their females to come on board, whenever
invited by our people; but we foon found that they were not
inftigated to pay thefe vifits from any amorous difpofition, but
merely for the fake of plunder, as they were by far the moft rapacious
thieves we had feen, ftealing every thing indifcriminately
which they could lay their hands on, and that with a degree of
dexterity which would not difgrace a difciple of the JuJUtia hulk.
Notwithftanding the general tenor of thefe women’s behaviour,
we met with one inftance of feeling and fenfibility amongft them
which perfedtly aftonilhed us, and is not, perhaps, always to be
feen amongft the fex in civilized countries.
It was on the 24th of July, (as I have already related) when
the natives vifited us principally through curiofity, that a
Chief and his wife were very defirous to fee the fbip ; Captain
Dixon, willing to gratify them in this particular, and thinking
that a fight of the veffel would be a {landing fubjedt for them to
F f talk