17S7. Captain B.erkely frequently boafted to Mr. Etches what an ex-
Au°u ' , cellent cargo of {kins he had purchafed, and indeed there is fome
reafon to fuppofe that he had been tolerably fuccefsful from the
following circumftance.
T wo veffels from Bombay were at King George’s Sound in the
fummer of 1786, and left one of their people behind; this man
was found here by Captain Berkely, who gave the following account
of him.
“ His name is John M'Key; he was born in Ireland, and went
•to Bombay in the Eaft India Company’s fervice. Two veffels
(viz. the Captain Cook, Captain Loriè; and the Experiment, Captain
Guife) were fitting out in 1785, on an expedition to the
North Weft coaft of America; that he engaged on board the
Captain Cook as Surgeon. They failed from Bombay the 28th of
November, 1785, and arrived at King George’s Sound the 27th
•of June, 1786. That being very ill of a purple fever he was
left behind for the recovery of his health, at the requeft of Mr.
Strange, the Supercargo to both veffels. Mr. Strange defired him
to learn the language and to ingratiate himfelf with the natives,
fo that if any other veffels fhould touch there he might prevent
them from purchafing any furs, promifing at the fame time to
return for him the enfuing fpring. That the two veffels procured
600 prime fea otter {kins during their ftay here, and left the Sound
the 27th of July, intending to fail for Cook’s River. That the
Sea Otter, Captain Hanna, from China, arrived at King George’s
Sound in Auguft, 1786, and that Captain Hanna offered to take
him on board, which he refufed, alledging, that he began to reliffi
dried fifti and whale oil, was fatisfied with his way of life, and
perfe&ly contented to ftay ’till next year, when he had no doubt
of
of Mr. Strange fending for him : that Captain Hanna left the >787«
Sound in September.- That the natives had ftripped him of his
cloaths, and obliged him to adopt their mode of drefs and filthi-
liefs of manners; arid that he was now a perfect matter of their
language, and well acquainted' with their temper and dii'pofition.
He had made frequent incurfions into the interior parts of the
country about King George’s Sound, and did not think any part
of it was the Continent of America, but a chain of detached
iflands,
Mr. Etches (from whom I had this intelligence) affined me that
no great dependance'could be placed on M1 Key’s ftory, he being
a very ignorant young fellow, and frequently contradi&ing himfelf;
but that entire credit might be given to that part of it refpedting
his adopting the manners of the natives, as he was equally
flovenly and dirty with the filthieft of them all. His knowledge of
the language was greatly fhort of what he boafted; neither was
he very contented in his fituation, for he gladly embraced Captain
Berkley’s offer of taking him on board, and feemed delighted to
think he was going to leave fo uncomfortable a place : however,
admitting him to be poffeffed of but an ordinary.capacity, he certainly
muft be better acquainted with the people here, from more
than a year’s refidence amongft them, than any occafional vifitor
could poflibly be ; and there can be no doubt but that Captain
Berkley found him extremely ufeful in managing his traffic with
the natives.
Our meeting with thefe veffels was very fortunate, both on their
account and our own. What we learnt from them rendeied it entirely
ufelefs for us to make King Georges Sound, and Piince
William’s Sound being their next deftination, we not only could
G g _ inform