BOOK IV.

TRANSACTIONS AMONGST THE NATIVES OF NORTH AMERICA; DISCOVERIES ALONG

THAT COAST AND THE EASTERN EXTREMITY OF ASIA, NORTHWARD TO ICY CAPE;

AND RETURN SOUTHWARD TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

CHAP. I.

THE SHIPS ENTER THE SOUND, AND MOOR IN A HARBOUR.—INTERCOURSE WITH THE

NATIVES.—ARTICLES BROUGHT TO BARTER.—THEFTS COMMITTED.—THE

OBSERVATORIES ERECTED, AND CARPENTERS SET TO WORK.—JEALOUSY OF THE

INHABITANTS OF THE SOUND TO PREVENT OTHER TRIBES HAVING INTERCOURSE

WITH THE SHIPS.—STORMY AND RAINY WEATHER.—PROGRESS ROUND THE SOUND.—

BEHAVIOUR OF THE NATIVES AT THEIR VILLAGES.—THEIR MANNER OF DRYING

FISH, &C.—REMARKABLE VISIT FROM STRANGERS, AND INTRODUCTORY

CEREMONIES.—A SECOND VISIT TO ONE OF THE VILLAGES.—LEAVE TO CUT GRASS,

PURCHASED.—THE SHIPS SAIL.—PRESENTS GIVEN AND RECEIVED AT PARTING.

The ships having happily found so excellent shelter in an inlet, the

coasts of which appeared to be inhabited by a race of people, whose

inoffensive behaviour promised a friendly intercourse, the next morning,

after coming to anchor, I lost no time in endeavouring to find a

commodious harbour, where we might station ourselves during our

continuance in the sound. Accordingly, I sent three armed boats, under

the command of Mr. King, upon this service; and soon after I went

myself, in a small boat, on the same search. I had very little trouble

in finding what we wanted. On the north-west of the arm we were now in,

and not far from the ships, I met with a convenient snug cove well

suited to our purpose. Mr. King was equally successful; for he returned

about noon, with an account of a still better harbour, which he had seen

and examined, lying on the north-west side of the land. But as it would

have required more time to carry the ships thither than to the cove,

where I had been, which was immediately within our reach; this reason

operated to determine my choice in favour of the latter situation. But

being apprehensive that we should not be able to transport our ships to

it, and to moor them properly, before night came on, I thought it best

to remain where we were till next morning; and, that no time might be

lost, I employed the remainder of the day to some useful purposes,

ordering the sails to be unbent, the topmasts to be struck, and the

foremast of the Resolution to be unrigged, in order to fix a new bib,

one of the old ones being decayed.

A great many canoes, filled with the natives, were about the ships all

day; and a trade commenced betwixt us and them, which was carried on

with the strictest honesty on both sides. The articles which they

offered to sale were skins of various animals, such as bears, wolves,

foxes, deer, racoons, polecats, martins; and, in particular, of the sea

otters, which are found at the islands east of Kamtschatka. Besides the

skins in their native shape, they also brought garments made of them,

and another sort of clothing made of the bark of a tree, or some plant

like hemp; weapons, such as bows, arrows, and spears; fish-hooks, and

instruments of various kinds; wooden vizors of many different monstrous

figures; a sort of woollen stuff, or blanketing; bags filled with red

ochre; pieces of carved work; beads; and several other little ornaments

of thin brass and iron, shaped like a horse-shoe, which they hang at

their noses; and several chissels, or pieces of iron, fixed to handles.

From their possessing which metals, we could infer that they had either

been visited before by some civilized nation, or had connections with

tribes on their continent, who had communication with them. But the most

extraordinary of all the articles which they brought to the ships for

sale were human skulls, and hands not yet quite stripped of the flesh,

which they made our people plainly understand they had eaten; and,

indeed, some of them had evident marks that they had been upon the fire.

We had but too much reason to suspect, from this circumstance, that the

horrid practice of feeding on their enemies is as prevalent here as we

had found it to be at New Zealand and other South Sea islands. For the

various articles which they brought, they took in exchange knives,

chissels, pieces of iron and tin, nails, looking-glasses, buttons, or

any kind of metal. Glass beads they were not fond of; and cloth of every

sort they rejected.

We employed the next day in hauling our ships into the cove, where they

were moored head and stern, fastening our hawsers to the trees on shore.

On heaving up the anchor of the Resolution, we found, notwithstanding

the great depth of water in which it was let go, that there were rocks

at the bottom. These had done some considerable damage to the cable; and

the hawsers that were carried out, to warp the ship into the cove, also

got foul of rocks; from which it appeared that the whole bottom was

strewed with them. The ship being again very leaky in her upper works, I

ordered the carpenters to go to work to calk her, and to repair such

other defects, as on examination we might discover.

The fame of our arrival brought a great concourse of the natives to our

ships in the course of this day. We counted above a hundred canoes at

one time, which might be supposed to contain, at an average, five

persons each; for few of them had less than three on board; great

numbers had seven, eight, or nine; and one was manned with no less than

seventeen. Amongst these visitors, many now favoured us with their

company for the first time, which we could guess from their approaching

the ships with their orations and other ceremonies. If they had any

distrust or fear of us at first, they now appeared to have laid it

aside; for they came on board the ships, and mixed with our people with

the greatest freedom. We soon discovered, by this nearer intercourse,

that they were as light-fingered as any of our friends in the islands we

had visited in the course of the voyage. And they were far more

dangerous thieves; for, possessing sharp iron instruments, they could

cut a hook from a tackle, or any other piece of iron from a rope, the

instant that our backs were turned. A large hook, weighing between

twenty and thirty pounds, several smaller ones, and other articles of

iron, were lost in this manner. And, as to our boats, they stripped them

of every bit of iron that was worth carrying away, though we had always

men left in them as a guard. They were dexterous enough in effecting

their purposes; for one fellow would contrive to amuse the boat-keeper,

at one end of a boat, while another was pulling out the iron work at the

other. If we missed a thing immediately after it had been stolen, we

found little difficulty in detecting the thief, as they were ready

enough to impeach one another. But the guilty person generally

relinquished his prize with reluctance; and sometimes we found it

necessary to have recourse to force.

The ships being securely moored, we began our other necessary business

the next day. The observatories were carried ashore, and placed upon an

elevated rock on one side of the cove, close to the Resolution. A party

of men, with an officer, was sent to cut wood, and to clear a place for

the conveniency of watering. Others were employed to brew spruce-beer,

as pine trees abounded here. The forge was also set up, to make the

iron-work wanting for the repairs of the foremast. But, besides one of

the bibs being defective, the larboard trestle-tree, and one of the

cross-trees were sprung.

A considerable number of the natives visited us daily; and every now and

then we saw new faces. On their first coming, they generally went

through a singular mode of introducing themselves. They would paddle,

with all their strength, quite round both ships, a chief, or other

principal person, in the canoe, standing up with a spear, or some other

weapon, in his hand, and speaking, or rather hollowing, all the time.

Sometimes the orator of the canoe would have his face covered with a

mask, representing either a human visage, or that of some animal; and,

instead of a weapon, would hold a rattle in his hand, as before

described. After making this circuit round the ships, they would come

alongside, and begin to trade without further ceremony. Very often,

indeed, they would first give us a song, in which all in the canoe

joined, with a very pleasing harmony.

During these visits they gave us no other trouble than to guard against

their thievish tricks. But, in the morning of the 4th, we had a serious

alarm. Our party on shore, who were employed in cutting wood and filling

water, observed that the natives all around them were arming themselves

in the best manner they could; those who were not possessed of proper

weapons, preparing sticks and collecting stones. On hearing this, I

thought it prudent to arm also; but being determined to act upon the

defensive, I ordered all our workmen to retreat to the rock, upon which

we had placed our observatories; leaving the natives in quiet possession

of the ground where they had assembled, which was within a stone’s throw

of the Resolution’s stern. Our fears were ill-grounded: these hostile

preparations were not directed against us, but against a body of their

own countrymen, who were coming to fight them; and our friends of the

Sound, on observing our apprehensions, used their best endeavours to

convince us that this was the case. We could see that they had people

looking out, on each point of the cove, and canoes frequently passed

between them and the main body assembled near the ships. At length the

adverse party, in about a dozen large canoes, appeared off the south

point of the cove, where they stopped, and lay drawn up in line of

battle, a negociation having commenced. Some people in canoes, in

conducting the treaty, passed between the two parties, and there was

some speaking on both sides. At length, the difference, whatever it was,

seemed to be compromised; but the strangers were not allowed to come

along-side the ships, nor to have any trade or intercourse with us.

Probably we were the cause of the quarrel; the strangers, perhaps, being

desirous to share in the advantages of a trade with us; and our first

friends, the inhabitants of the Sound, being determined to engross us

entirely to themselves. We had proofs of this on several other

occasions; nay, it appeared that even those who lived in the Sound were

not united in the same cause; for the weaker were frequently obliged to

give way to the stronger party, and plundered of every thing, without

attempting to make the least resistance.

We resumed our work in the afternoon, and the next day, rigged the

foremast; the head of which being rather too small for the cap, the

carpenter went to work to fix a piece on one side, to fill up the vacant

space. In cutting into the mast-head for this purpose, and examining the

state of it, both cheeks were found to be so rotten that there was no

possibility of repairing them; and it became necessary to get the mast

out, and to fix new ones upon it. It was evident that one of the cheeks

had been defective at the first, and that the unsound part had been cut

out, and a piece put in, which had not only weakened the mast-head, but

had, in a great measure, been the occasion of rotting every other part

of both cheeks. Thus, when we were almost ready to put to sea, we had

all our work to do over again; and, what was still more provoking, an

additional repair was to be undertaken, which would require some time to

be completed. But, as there was no remedy, we immediately set about it.

It was fortunate for the voyage that these defects were discovered, when

we were in a place where the materials requisite were to be procured.

For, amongst the drift-wood in the cove where the ships lay, were some

small seasoned trees very fit for our purpose. One of these was pitched

upon; and the carpenters began, without loss of time, to make out of it

two new cheeks.

In the morning of the 7th, we got the foremast out, and hauled it

ashore; and the carpenters of the ships were set to work upon it. Some

parts of the lower standing rigging having been found to be very much

decayed, as we had time now to put them in order, while the carpenters

were repairing the foremast, I ordered a new set of main-rigging to be

fitted, and a more perfect set of fore-rigging to be selected out of the

best parts of the old.

From the time of our putting into the Sound till now, the weather had

been exceedingly fine, without either wind or rain. That comfort, at the

very moment when the continuance of it would have been of most service,

was withdrawn. In the morning of the 8th, the wind freshened at

south-east, attended with thick hazy weather and rain. In the afternoon

the wind increased; and toward the evening it blew very hard indeed. It

came, in excessively heavy squalls, from over the high land on the

opposite shore, right into the cove; and, though the ships were very

well moored, put them in some danger. These tempestuous blasts succeeded

each other pretty quick; but they were of short duration; and in the

intervals between them we had a perfect calm. According to the old

proverb, “misfortunes seldom come single;” the mizen was now the only

mast on board the Resolution that remained rigged, with its top-mast up.

The former was so defective that it could not support the latter during

the violence of the squalls, but gave way at the head under the rigging.

About eight o’clock the gale abated; but the rain continued with very

little intermission for several days; and, that the carpenters might be

enabled to proceed in their labours, while it prevailed, a tent was

erected over the foremast, where they could work with some degree of

convenience.

The bad weather which now came on, did not, however, hinder the natives

from visiting us daily; and, in such circumstances, their visits were

very advantageous to us. For they frequently brought us a tolerable

supply of fish, when we could not catch any ourselves with hook and

line; and there was not a proper place near us where we could draw a

net. The fish which they brought us were either sardines, or what

resembled them much, a small kind of bream, and sometimes small cod.

On the 11th, notwithstanding the rainy weather, the main-rigging was

fixed and got over head; and our employment, the day after, was to take

down the mizen-mast, the head of which proved to be so rotten that it

dropped off while in the slings. In the evening we were visited by a

tribe of natives whom we had never seen before; and who, in general,

were better looking people than most of our old friends, some of whom

attended them. I prevailed upon these visitors to go down into the cabin

for the first time; and observed, that there was not a single object

that fixed the attention of most of them for a moment; their

countenances marking that they looked upon all our novelties with the

utmost indifference. This, however, was not without exception; for a few

of the company showed a certain degree of curiosity.

In the afternoon of the next day I went into the woods with a party of

our men, and cut down a tree for a mizen-mast. On the day following, it

was brought to the place where the carpenters were employed upon the

foremast. In the evening the wind, which had been for some time

westerly, veered to the south-east, and increased to a very hard gale,

with rain, which continued till eight o’clock the next morning, when it

abated, and veered again to the west.

The fore-mast being, by this time, finished, we hauled it along-side;

but the bad weather prevented our getting it in till the afternoon; and

we set about rigging it with the greatest expedition, while the

carpenters were going on with the mizen-mast on shore. They had made

very considerable progress in it on the 16th, when they discovered that

the stick upon which they were at work was sprung, or wounded, owing, as

supposed, to some accident in cutting it down. So that all their labour

was thrown away; and it became necessary to get another tree out of the

woods, which employed all hands above half a day. During these various

operations, several of the natives, who were about the ships, looked on

with an expressive silent surprize, which we did not expect, from their

general indifference and inattention.

On the 18th a party of strangers, in six or eight canoes, came into the

cove, where they remained, looking at us, for some time; and then

retired, without coming alongside either ship. We supposed that our old

friends, who were more numerous at this time about us than these new

visitors, would not permit them to have an intercourse with us. It was

evident, upon this and several other occasions, that the inhabitants of

the adjoining parts of the Sound engrossed us entirely to themselves; or

if, at any time, they did not hinder strangers from trading with us,

they contrived to manage the trade for them in such a manner that the

price of their commodities was always kept up, while the value of ours

was lessening every day. We also found that many of the principal

natives who lived near us, carried on a trade with more distant tribes,

in the articles they had procured from us. For we observed that they

would frequently disappear for four or five days at a time, and then

return with fresh cargoes of skins and curiosities, which our people

were so passionately fond of that they always came to a good market. But

we received most benefit from such of the natives as visited us daily.

These, after disposing of all their little trifles, turned their

attention to fishing, and we never failed to partake of what they

caught. We also got from these people a considerable quantity of very

good animal oil, which they had reserved in bladders. In this traffic

some would attempt to cheat us, by mixing water with the oil; and, once

or twice, they had the address to carry their imposition so far as to

fill their bladders with mere water, without a single drop of oil. It

was always better to bear with these tricks than to make them the

foundation of a quarrel; for our articles of traffic consisted, for the

most part, of mere trifles; and yet we were put to our shifts to find a

constant supply even of these. Beads, and such other toys, of which I

had some left, were in little estimation. Nothing would go down with our

visitors but metal; and brass had, by this time supplanted iron, being

so eagerly sought after, that before we left this place, hardly a bit of

it was left in the ships except what belonged to our necessary

instruments. Whole suits of clothes were stripped of every button;

bureaus of their furniture; and copper kettles, tin cannisters,

candlesticks, and the like, all went to wreck; so that our American

friends here got a greater medley and variety of things from us than any

other nation whom we had visited in the course of the voyage.

After a fortnight’s bad weather, the 19th proving a fair day, we availed

ourselves of it, to get up the top-masts and yards, and to fix up the

rigging. And, having now finished most of our heavy work, I set out the

next morning to take a view of the Sound. I first went to the west

point, where I found a large village, and before it a very snug harbour,

in which was from nine to four fathoms’ water, over a bottom of fine

sand. The people of this village, who were numerous, and to most of whom

I was well known, received me very courteously, every one pressing me to

go into his house, or rather his apartment; for several families live

under the same roof. I did not decline the invitations; and my

hospitable friends, whom I visited, spread a mat for me to sit upon, and

showed me every other mark of civility. In most of the houses were women

at work, making dresses of the plant or bark before mentioned, which

they executed exactly in the same manner that the New Zealanders

manufacture their cloth. Others were occupied in opening sardines. I had

seen a large quantity of them brought on shore from canoes, and divided

by measure amongst several people, who carried them up to their houses,

where the operation of curing them by smoke-drying is performed. They

hang them on small rods; at first, about a foot from the fire; afterward

they remove them higher and higher, to make room for others, till the

rods, on which the fish hang, reach the top of the house. When they are

completely dried, they are taken down and packed close in bales, which

they cover with mats. Thus they are kept till wanted; and they are not a

disagreeable article of food. Cod, and other large fish, are also cured

in the same manner by them; though they sometimes dry these in the open

air, without fire.

From this village I proceeded up the west side of the Sound. For about

three miles I found the shore covered with small islands, which are so

situated as to form several convenient harbours, having various depths

of water, from thirty to seven fathoms, with a good bottom. Two leagues

within the Sound, on this west side, there runs in an arm in the

direction of north north-west; and two miles farther is another nearly

in the same direction, with a pretty large island before it. I had no

time to examine either of these arms; but have reason to believe that

they do not extend far inland, as the water was no more than brackish at

their entrances. A mile above the second arm, I found the remains of a

village. The logs or framings of the houses were standing; but the

boards that had composed their sides and roofs did not exist. Before

this village were some large fishing weirs; but I saw nobody attending

them. These weirs were composed of pieces of wicker-work made of small

rods, some closer than others, according to the size of the fish

intended to be caught in them. These pieces of wicker-work (some of

whose _superfices_ are, at least, twenty feet by twelve), are fixed up

edgewise in shallow water, by strong poles or pickets, that stand firm

in the ground. Behind this ruined village is a plain of a few hours’

extent, covered with the largest pine-trees that I ever saw. This was

the more remarkable, as the elevated ground, most other parts of this

west side of the Sound, was rather naked.

From this place I crossed over to the other, or east side of the Sound,

passing an arm of it that runs in north north-east, to appearance not

far. I now found what I had before conjectured, that the land, under

which the ships lay, was an island; and that there were many smaller

ones lying scattered in the Sound on the west side of it. Opposite the

north end of our large island, upon the main land, I observed a village,

and there I landed. The inhabitants of it were not so polite as those of

the other I had just visited. But this cold reception seemed, in a great

measure, if not entirely, owing to one surly chief, who would not let me

enter their houses, following me wherever I went; and several times, by

expressive signs, marking his impatience that I should be gone. I

attempted in vain to sooth him by presents; but though he did not refuse

them, they did not alter his behaviour. Some of the young women, better

pleased with us than was their inhospitable chief; dressed themselves

expeditiously in their best apparel, and assembling in a body, welcomed

us to their village, by joining in a song, which was far from harsh or

disagreeable.

The day being now far spent, I proceeded for the ships, round the north

end of the large island; meeting, in my way, with several canoes laden

with sardines, which had been just caught, somewhere in the east corner

of the Sound. When I got on board, I was informed, that while I was

absent the ships had been visited by some strangers, in two or three

large canoes, who by signs made our people understand that they had come

from the south-east, beyond the bay. They brought several skins,

garments, and other articles, which they bartered. But what was most

singular, two silver table spoons were purchased from them, which, from

their peculiar shape, we supposed to be of Spanish manufacture. One of

these strangers wore them round his neck, by way of ornament. These

visitors also appeared to be more plentifully supplied with iron than

the inhabitants of the Sound.

The mizen-mast being finished, it was got in, and rigged, on the 21st;

and the carpenters were set to work to make a new fore-top mast, to

replace the one that had been carried away some time before.

Next morning, about eight o’clock, we were visited by a number of

strangers in twelve or fourteen canoes. They came into the cove from the

southward; and as soon as they had turned the point of it, they stopped,

and lay drawn up in a body above half an hour, about two or three

hundred yards from the ships. At first we thought that they were afraid

to come nearer; but we were mistaken in this, and they were only

preparing an introductory ceremony. On advancing toward the ships, they

all stood up in their canoes, and began to sing. Some of their songs, in

which the whole body joined, were in a slow, and others in quicker time;

and they accompanied their notes with the most regular motions of their

hands; or beating in concert, with their paddles, on the sides of the

canoes; and making other very expressive gestures. At the end of each

song they remained silent a few seconds, and then began again, sometimes

pronouncing the word _hooee!_ forcibly, as a chorus. After entertaining

us with this specimen of their music, which we listened to with

admiration, for above half an hour, they came alongside the ships and

bartered what they had to dispose of. Some of our old friends of the

Sound were now found to be amongst them; and they took the whole

management of the traffic between us and the strangers, much to the

advantage of the latter.

Our attendance on these visitors being finished, Captain Clerke and I

went in the forenoon with two boats to the village at the west point of

the sound. When I was there the day before, I had observed that plenty

of grass grew near it, and it was necessary to lay in a quantity of this

as food for the few goats and sheep which were still left on board. The

inhabitants received us with the same demonstrations of friendship which

I had experienced before; and the moment we landed, I ordered some of my

people to begin their operation of cutting. I had not the least

imagination, that the natives could make any objection to our furnishing

ourselves with what seemed to be of no use to them, but was necessary

for us. However, I was mistaken, for the moment that our men began to

cut, some of the inhabitants interposed and would not permit them to

proceed, saying they must “_makook_;” that is, must first buy it. I was

now in one of the houses, but as soon as I heard of this, I went to the

field, where I found, about a dozen of the natives, each of whom laid

claim to some part of the grass that grew in this place. I bargained

with them for it, and having completed the purchase, thought we were now

at liberty to cut wherever we pleased; but here, again, it appeared that

I was under a mistake, for the liberal manner in which I had paid the

first pretended proprietors, brought fresh demands upon me from others,

so that there did not seem to be a single blade of grass that had not a

separate owner; and so many of them were to be satisfied, that I very

soon emptied my pockets. When they found that I really had nothing more

to give, their importunities ceased, and we were permitted to cut

wherever we pleased, and as much as we chose to carry away.

Here I must observe, that I have no where in my several voyages met with

any uncivilized nation or tribe, who had such strict notions of their

having a right to the exclusive property of every thing that their

country produces, as the inhabitants of this sound. At first they wanted

our people to pay for the wood and water that they carried on board, and

had I been upon the spot when these demands were made, I should

certainly have complied with them. Our workmen, in my absence, thought

differently, for they took but little notice of such claims, and the

natives, when they found that we were determined to pay nothing, at last

ceased to apply. But they made a merit of necessity, and frequently

afterward took occasion to remind us, that they had given us wood and

water out of friendship.[39]

During the time I was at this village, Mr. Webber, who had attended me

thither, made drawings of every thing that was curious, both within and

without doors. I had also an opportunity of inspecting more narrowly the

construction of the houses, household furniture and utensils, and the

striking peculiarities of the customs and modes of living of the

inhabitants. These shall be described in another place in the best

manner I can, calling in to my assistance the observations of Mr.

Anderson. When we had completed all our operations at this village, the

natives and we parted very good friends, and we got back to the ships in

the afternoon.

The three following days were employed in getting ready to put to sea,

the sails were bent, the observatories and instruments, brewing vessels,

and other things were moved from the shore; some small spars for

different uses, and pieces of timber which might be occasionally sawn

into boards, were prepared and put on board, and both ships were cleared

and put into a sailing condition.

Every thing being now ready in the morning of the 26th, I intended to

have put to sea, but both wind and tide being against us, was obliged to

wait till noon, when the S. W. wind was succeeded by a calm; and the

tide turning in our favour, we cast off the moorings, and with our boats

towed the ships out of the cove. After this, we had variable light airs

and calms till four in the afternoon, when a breeze sprung up northerly

with very thick, hazy weather. The mercury in the barometer fell

unusually low; and we had every other fore-runner of an approaching

storm, which we had reason to expect would be from the southward; this

made me hesitate a little, as night was at hand, whether I should

venture to sail or wait till the next morning. But my anxious impatience

to proceed upon the voyage, and the fear of losing this opportunity of

getting out of the sound, making a greater impression on my mind than

any apprehension of immediate danger, I determined to put to sea at all

events.

Our friends, the natives, attended us till we were almost out of the

sound, some on board the ships, and others in their canoes. One of their

chiefs who had some time before attached himself to me, was amongst the

last who left us. Having, before he went, bestowed upon him a small

present, I received in return a beaver skin of much greater value. This

called upon me to make some addition to my present, which pleased him so

much, that he insisted upon my acceptance of the beaver skin cloak which

he then wore, and of which I knew he was particularly fond. Struck with

this instance of generosity, and desirous that he should be no sufferer

by his friendship to me, I presented to him a new broad-sword with a

brass hilt, the possession of which made him completely happy. He, and

also many others of his countrymen, importuned us much to pay them

another visit, and, by way of encouragement, promised to lay in a good

stock of skins. I make no doubt, that whoever comes after me to this

place, will find the natives prepared accordingly, with no

inconsiderably supply of an article of trade, which they could observe

we were eager to possess, and which we found could be purchased to great

advantage.

Such particulars about the country and its inhabitants as came to our

knowledge during our short stay, and have not been mentioned in the

course of the narrative, will furnish materials for the two following

chapters.

CHAP. II.

THE NAME OF THE SOUND, AND DIRECTIONS FOR SAILING INTO IT.—ACCOUNT OF

THE ADJACENT COUNTRY.—WEATHER.—CLIMATE.—TREES.—OTHER VEGETABLE

PRODUCTIONS.—QUADRUPEDS, WHOSE SKINS WERE BROUGHT FOR SALE.—SEA

ANIMALS.—DESCRIPTION OF A SEA OTTER.—BIRDS.—WATER-FOWL.—FISH.—

SHELL-FISH, &C.—REPTILES.—INSECTS.—STONES, &C.—PERSONS OF THE

INHABITANTS.—THEIR COLOUR.—COMMON DRESS AND ORNAMENTS.—OCCASIONAL

DRESSES, AND MONSTROUS DECORATIONS OF WOODEN MASKS.—THEIR GENERAL

DISPOSITIONS.—SONGS.—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.—THEIR EAGERNESS TO POSSESS

IRON AND OTHER METALS.

On my arrival in this inlet, I had honoured it with the name of King

George’s Sound; but I afterward found that it is called Nootka by the

natives. The entrance is situated in the E. corner of Hope Bay, in the

latitude of 49° 33ʹ N., and in the longitude of 233° 12ʹ E. The E. coast

of that bay all the way from Breaker’s Point to the entrance of the

sound, is covered by a chain of sunken rocks, that seemed to extend some

distance from the shore, and near the Sound, are some islands and rocks

above water.

We enter this sound between two rocky points that lie E. S. E., and

W. N. W. from each other, distant between three and four miles. Within

these points the sound widens considerably, and extends in, to the

northward, four leagues at least, exclusive of the several branches

toward its bottom, the termination of which we had not an opportunity to

ascertain. But, from the circumstance of finding that the water

freshened where our boats crossed their entrance, it is probable that

they had almost reached its utmost limits. And this probability is

increased by the hills that bounded it toward the land being covered

with thick snow, when those toward the sea or where we lay, had not a

speck remaining on them, though, in general, they were much higher. In

the middle of the sound are a number of islands of various sizes; but

the chart or sketch of the sound here annexed, though it has no

pretensions to accuracy, will, with all its imperfections, convey a

better idea of these islands, and of the figure, and the extent of the

sound, than any written description. The depth of water in the middle of

the sound, and even close home to some parts of its shore, is from

forty-seven to ninety fathoms, and perhaps more. The harbours and

anchoring-places within its circuit are numerous; but we had no time to

survey them. The cove in which our ships lay is on the east side of the

sound, and on the east side of the largest of the islands. It is covered

from the sea, but has little else to recommend it, being exposed to the

south-east winds, which we found to blow with great violence; and the

devastation they make sometimes was apparent in many places.

The land bordering upon the sea-coast is of a middling height and level;

but within the Sound it rises almost every where into steep hills, which

agree in their general formation, ending in round or blunted tops, with

some sharp, though not very prominent, ridges on their sides. Some of

these hills may be reckoned high, while others of them are of a very

moderate height; but even the highest are entirely covered to their tops

with the thickest woods, as well as every flat part toward the sea.

There are sometimes spots upon the sides of some of the hills which are

bare; but they are few in comparison of the whole, though they

sufficiently point out the general rocky disposition of these hills.

Properly speaking, they have no soil upon them, except a kind of

compost, produced from rotten mosses and trees, of the depth of two feet

or more. Their foundations are, therefore, to be considered as nothing

more than stupendous rocks, of a whitish or grey cast, where they have

been exposed to the weather; but, when broken, they appeared to be of a

blueish-grey colour, like that universal sort which were found at

Kerguelen’s Land. The rocky shores are a continued mass of this; and the

little coves in the Sound have breaches composed of fragments of it,

with a few other pebbles. All these coves are furnished with a great

quantity of fallen wood lying in them, which is carried in by the tide;

and with rills of fresh water, sufficient for the use of a ship, which

seem to be supplied entirely from the rains and fogs that hover about

the tops of the hills. For few springs can be expected in so rocky a

country, and the fresh water found farther up the Sound most probably

arose from the melting of the snow; there being no room to suspect that

any large river falls into the Sound, either from strangers coming down

it, or from any other circumstance. The water of these rills is

perfectly clear, and dissolves soap easily.

The weather, during our stay, corresponded pretty nearly with that which

we had experienced off the coast. That is, when the wind was any where

between north and west, the weather was fine and clear; but if to the

southward of west, hazy with rain. The climate, as far as we had any

experience of it, is infinitely milder than that on the east coast of

America, under the same parallel of latitude. The mercury in the

thermometer never, even in the night, fell lower than 42°; and very

often, in the day, it rose to 60°. No such thing as frost was perceived

in any of the low ground; on the contrary, vegetation had made a

considerable progress; for I met with grass that was already above a

foot long.

The trees which chiefly compose the woods, are the Canadian pine, white

cypress, _cypressus thyoides_, the wild pine, with two or three other

sorts of pine less common. The first two make up almost two thirds of

the whole; and, at a distance, might be mistaken for the same tree, as

they both run up into pointed spire-like tops; but they are easily

distinguished on coming nearer, from their colour, the cypress being of

a much paler green, or shade, than the other. The trees, in general,

grow with great vigour, and are all of a large size.

There is but little variety of other vegetable productions, though,

doubtless, several had not yet sprung up at the early season when we

visited the place, and many more might be hid from the narrow sphere of

our researches. About the rocks, and verge of the woods, we found

strawberry-plants, some rasberry, currant, and gooseberry bushes, which

were all in a most flourishing state; with a few small black

alder-trees. There are likewise a species of sow-thistle; goose-grass;

some crow’s-foot, which has a very fine crimson flower; and two sorts of

_anthericum_; one with a large orange-flower, and the other with a blue

one. We also found, in these situations, some wild rose-bushes, which

were just budding; a great quantity of young leeks, with triangular

leaves; a small sort of grass, and some water-cresses, which grow about

the sides of the rills; besides great abundance of _andromeda_. Within

the woods, besides two sorts of underwood shrubs unknown to us, are

mosses and ferns. Of the first of which, are seven or eight different

sorts; of the last not above three or four; and the _species_ of both

are mostly such as are common to Europe and America.

As the season of the year was unfavourable to our gaining much knowledge

of the vegetable productions of this country, so our own situation while

there, put it out of our power to learn much about its animals; for as

the want of water made it necessary that we should enter the Sound at

first, the unforeseen accidents which happened afterward, though they

lengthened our stay, were rather unfavourable to our obtaining any

knowledge of this kind. The emergency of the case required that every

person should be constantly employed in the necessary business of the

ships, which was the capital object, as the season was advancing very

fast, and the success of the voyage depended upon their diligence and

alacrity in expediting the various tasks assigned to them. Hence it

happened that excursions of every kind, either on the land or by water,

were never attempted. And as we lay in a cove on an island, no other

animals were ever seen alive in the woods there, than two or three

racoons, martins, and squirrels. Besides these, some of our people who,

one day, landed on the continent near the south-east side of the

entrance of the Sound, observed the prints of a bear’s feet near the

shore. The account, therefore, that we can give of the quadrupeds is

taken from the skins which the natives brought to sell; and these were

often so mutilated, with respect to the distinguishing parts, such as

the paws, tails, and heads, that it was impossible even to guess at the

animals to whom they belonged; though others were so perfect, or, at

least, so well known, that they left no room to doubt about them.

Of these the most common were bears, deer, foxes, and wolves. The

bear-skins were in great numbers; few of them very large; but, in

general, of a shining black colour. The deer-skins were scarcer, and

they seem to belong to that sort called the fallow-deer by the

historians of Carolina; though Mr. Pennant thinks it quite a different

species from ours, and distinguishes it by the name of Virginian

deer.[40] The foxes are in great plenty, and of several varieties; some

of their skins being quite yellow, with a black tip to the tail; others

of a deep or reddish yellow, intermixed with black; and a third, sort of

a whitish grey or ash-colour, also intermixed with black. Our people

used to apply the name of fox or wolf indiscriminately, when the skins

were so mutilated as to leave room for a doubt. But we got, at last, an

entire wolf’s skin with the head on; and it was grey. Besides the common

sort of martin, the pine-martin is also here; and another, whose skin is

of a lighter brown colour than either, with coarser hair; but is not so

common, and is, perhaps, only a mere variety arising from age, or some

other accidental circumstance. The ermine is also found at this place,

but is rare and small; nor is the hair remarkably fine, though the

animal appeared to be perfectly white, and squirrels are of the common

sort; but the latter is rather smaller than ours, and has a deeper rusty

colour running along the back.

We were clear as to the existence of all the animals already mentioned;

but there are two others besides, which we could not distinguish with

sufficient certainty. Of the first of these we saw none of the skins,

but what were dressed or tanned like leather. The natives wear them on

some occasions; and, from the size as well as thickness, they were

generally concluded to belong to the elk, or moose-deer; though some of

them, perhaps, might belong to the buffalo. The other animal, which

seems by no means rare, was guessed to be a species of the wild cat or

_lynx_. The length of the skins, without the head, which none of them

had, was about two feet two inches. They are covered with a very fine

wool or fur, of a very light brown or whitish yellow colour, intermixed

with long hairs, which, on the back, where they are shortest, are

blackish; on the sides, where they are longer, of a silver white; and on

the belly, where they are longest, of the colour of the wool; but the

whitish, or silver hairs, are often so predominant that the whole animal

acquires a cast of that kind. The tail is only three inches long, and

has a black tip. The whole skin being by the natives called _wanshee_;

that, most probably is their name for this animal. Hogs, dogs, and

goats, have not as yet found their way to this place. Nor do the natives

seem to have any knowledge of our brown rats, to which, when they saw me

on board the ships, they applied the name they give to squirrels. And

though they called our goats _eineetla_, this, most probably, is their

name for a young deer or fawn.

The sea animals seen off the coast were whales, porpoises, and seals.

The last of these seem only of the common sort, judging from the skins

which we saw here; their colour being either silvery, yellowish, plain,

or spotted with black. The porpoise is the _phocena_. I have chosen to

refer to this class the sea-otter, as living mostly in the water. It

might have been sufficient to have mentioned that this animal abounds

here, as it is fully described in different books, taken from the

accounts of the Russian adventurers in their expeditions eastward from

Kamtschatka, if there had not been a small difference in one that we

saw. We for some time entertained doubts, whether the many skins which

the natives brought, really belonged to this animal; as our only reason

for being of that opinion was founded on the size, colour, and fineness

of the fur; till a short while before our departure, when a whole one

that had been just killed, was purchased from some strangers who came to

barter; and of this Mr. Webber made a drawing. It was rather young,

weighing only twenty-five pounds, of a shining or glossy black colour;

but many of the hairs being tipt with white, gave it a greyish cast at

first sight. The face, throat and breast, were of a yellowish white, or

very light brown colour, which, in many of the skins, extended the whole

length of the belly. It had six cutting-teeth in each jaw; two of those

of the lower jaw being very minute, and placed without, at the base of

the two middle ones. In these circumstances it seems to disagree with

those found by the Russians; and also in not having the outer toes of

the hind feet skirted with a membrane. There seemed also a greater

variety in the colour of the skins than is mentioned by the describers

of the Russian sea-otters. These changes of colour certainly take place

at the different gradations of life. The very young ones had brown hair,

which was coarse, with very little fur underneath; but those of the size

of the entire animal, which came into our possession, and just

described, had a considerable quantity of that substance; and both in

that colour and state the sea-otters seem to remain till they have

attained their full growth. After that they lose their black colour, and

assume a deep brown or sooty colour; but have then a greater quantity of

very fine fur, and scarcely any long hairs. Others, which we suspected

to be still older, were of a chesnut brown; and a few skins were seen

that had even acquired a perfectly yellow colour. The fur of these

animals, as mentioned in the Russian accounts, is certainly softer and

finer than that of any others we know of; and therefore the discovery of

this part of the continent of North America, where so valuable an

article of commerce may be met with, cannot be a matter of

indifference.[41]

Birds, in general, are not only rare as to the different species, but

very scarce as to numbers; and these few are so shy, that, in all

probability, they are continually harassed by the natives; perhaps to

eat them as food, certainly to get possession of their feathers, which

they use as ornaments. Those which frequent the woods, are crows and

ravens, not at all different from our English ones; a blueish jay or

magpie; common wrens, which are the only singing bird that we hear; the

Canadian, or migrating thrush; and a considerable number of brown

eagles, with white heads and tails; which, though they seem principally

to frequent the coast, come into the Sound in bad weather, and sometimes

perch upon the trees. Amongst some other birds, of which the natives

either brought fragments or dried skins, we could distinguish a small

species of hawk, a heron, and the _alcyon_ or large-crested American

king-fisher. There are also some which I believe are not mentioned, or

at least vary very considerably, from the accounts given of them by any

writers who have treated professedly on this part of natural history.

The first two of these are _species_ of wood-peckers. One less than a

thrush, of a black colour above, with white spots on the wings, a

crimson head, neck and breast, and a yellowish olive-coloured belly;

from which last circumstance it might, perhaps, not improperly be called

the yellow-bellied wood-pecker. The other is a larger, and much more

elegant bird, of a dusky brown colour, on the upper part, richly waved

with black, except about the head; the belly of a reddish cast, with

round black spots; a black spot on the breast; and the under-side of the

wings and tail of a plain scarlet colour, though blackish above; with a

crimson streak running from the angle of the mouth, a little down the

neck on each side. The third and fourth are a small bird of the finch

kind, about the size of a linnet, of a dark dusky colour, whitish below,

with a black head and neck, and white bill; and a sand-piper, of the

size of a small pigeon, of a dusky brown colour, and white below, except

the throat and breast, with a broad white band across the wings. There

are also humming-birds, which yet seem to differ from the numerous sorts

of this delicate animal already known, unless they be a mere variety of

the _trochilus colubris_ of Linnæus. These perhaps inhabit more to the

southward, and spread northward as the season advances; because we saw

none at first, though near the time of our departure the natives brought

them to the ships in great numbers.

The birds which frequent the waters and the shores, are not more

numerous than the others. The quebrantahuessos, gulls, and shags, were

seen off the coast, and the last two also frequent the sound; they are

of the common sorts, the shags being our cormorant or water-crow. We saw

two sorts of wild ducks, one black with a white head, which were in

considerable flocks, the other white with a red bill, but of a larger

size; and the greater _lumme_ or diver, found in our northern countries.

There were also seen once or twice some swans flying across the sound to

the northward; but we knew nothing of their haunts. On the shores,

besides the sand-piper described above, we found another about the size

of a lark, which bears a great affinity to the burre, and a plover

differing very little from our common sea-lark.

Fish are more plentiful in quantity than birds, though the variety is

not very great; and yet, from several circumstances, it is probable that

even the variety is considerably increased at certain seasons. The

principal sorts, which we found in great numbers, are the common

herring, but scarcely exceeding seven inches in length, a smaller sort,

which is the same with the anchovy or sardine, though rather larger; a

white or silver coloured bream, and another of a gold-brown colour, with

many narrow longitudinal blue stripes. The herrings and sardines,

doubtless, come in large shoals and only at stated seasons, as is common

with that sort of fish. The bream of both sorts may be reckoned the next

to these in quantity, and the full grown ones weighed at least a pound.

The other fish, which are all scarce, are a small brown kind of

_sculpin_, such as is found on the coast of Norway, another of a

brownish red cast; frost-fish, a large one, somewhat resembling the

bull-head, with a tough skin, destitute of scales; and now and then,

toward the time of our leaving the sound, the natives brought a small

brownish cod spotted with white, and a red fish of the same size, which

some of our people said they had seen in the Straits of Magellan,

besides another differing little from the hake. There are also

considerable numbers of those fish called the _chimæræ_, or little

sea-wolves by some, which is akin to and about the size of the

_pezegallo_, or elephant-fish. Sharks likewise sometimes frequent the

sound, for the natives have some of their teeth in their possession; and

we saw some pieces of ray, or skate, which seemed to have been pretty

large. The other marine animals that ought to be mentioned here, are a

small cruciated _medusa_, or blubber; star-fish, which differ somewhat

from the common ones; two small sorts of crabs; and two others which the

natives brought; one of them of a thick, tough, gelatinous consistence,

and the other a sort of membranaceous tube or pipe, both which are

probably taken from the rocks. And we also purchased from them once, a

very large cuttle-fish.

There is abundance of large muscles about the rocks, many sea-ears, and

we often saw shells of pretty large plain _chamæ_. The smaller sorts are

some _trochi_ of two species, a curious _murex_, rugged wilks, and a

snail, all which are probably peculiar to this place, at least I do not

recollect to have seen them in any country near the same latitude in

either hemisphere. There are besides these, some small plain cockles,

limpets, and some strangers who came into the sound wore necklaces of a

small bluish _volute_, or _panamæ_. Many of the muscles are a span in

length, and some having pretty large pearls, which, however, are both

badly shaped and coloured. We may conclude that there is red coral in

the sound, or somewhere upon the coast, some thick pieces or branches

having been seen in the canoes of the natives.

The only animals of the reptile kind observed here and found in the

woods, were brown snakes two feet long, with whitish stripes on the back

and sides, which are harmless, as we often saw the natives carry them

alive in their hands; and brownish water-lizards, with a tail exactly

like that of an eel, which frequented the small standing pools about the

rocks.

The insect tribe seem to be more numerous. For though the season which

is peculiarly fitted to their appearing abroad was only beginning, we

saw four or five different sorts of butterflies, none of which were

uncommon, a good many humble-bees, some of our common gooseberry moths,

two or three sorts of flies, a few beetles, and some musquitoes, which

probably may be more numerous and troublesome in a country so full of

wood during the summer, though at this time they did little mischief.

As to the mineral substances in this country, though we found both iron

and copper here, there is little reason to believe that either of them

belong to the place. Neither were the ores of any metal seen, if we

except a coarse, red, earthy, or ochry substance, used by the natives in

painting themselves, which probably may contain a little iron, with a

white and black pigment used for the same purpose. But we did not

procure specimens of them, and therefore cannot positively determine

what are their component parts.

Besides the stone or rock that constitutes the mountains and shores

which sometimes contains pieces of very coarse _quartz_, we found

amongst the natives things made of a hard black _granite_, though not

remarkably compact or fine grained; a greyish whetstone, the common

oil-stone of our carpenters, in coarser and finer pieces, and some black

bits which are little inferior to the hone-stone. The natives also use

the transparent leafy _glimmer_, or Muscovy glass, a brown leafy or

martial sort, and they sometimes brought to us pieces of rock-crystal,

tolerably transparent. The first two are probably found near the spot,

as they seemed to be in considerable quantities, but the latter seems to

be brought from a greater distance, or is very scarce, for our visitors

always parted with it reluctantly. Some of the pieces were octangular,

and had the appearance of being formed into that shape by art.

The persons of the natives are in general under the common stature, but

not slender in proportion, being commonly pretty full or plump, though

not muscular. Neither doth the soft fleshiness seem ever to swell into

corpulence, and many of the older people are rather spare or lean. The

visage of most of them is round and full, and sometimes, also, broad,

with large prominent cheeks; and above these, the face is frequently

much depressed, or seems fallen in quite across between the temples, the

nose also flattening at its base, with pretty wide nostrils, and a

rounded point. The forehead rather low, the eyes small, black, and

rather languishing than sparkling, the mouth round with large round

thickish lips, the teeth tolerably equal and well set, but not

remarkably white. They have either no beards at all, which was most

commonly the case, or a small thin one upon the point of the chin, which

does not arise from any natural defect of hair on that part, but from

plucking it out more or less; for some of them, and particularly the old

men, have not only considerable beards all over the chin, but whiskers

or mustachios, both on the upper lip, and running from thence toward the

lower jaw obliquely downward.[42] Their eye-brows are also scanty and

always narrow, but the hair of the head is in great abundance, very

coarse and strong, and without a single exception, black, straight, and

lank, or hanging down over the shoulders; the neck is short; the arms

and body have no particular mark of beauty or elegance in their

formation, but are rather clumsy; and the limbs in all are very small in

proportion to the other parts, and crooked or ill made, with large feet

badly shaped and projecting ankles. This last defect seems, in a great

measure, to arise from their sitting so much on their hams or knees,

both in their canoes and houses.

Their colour we could never positively determine, as their bodies were

incrusted with paint and dirt; though, in particular cases, when these

were well rubbed off, the whiteness of the skin appeared almost to equal

that of Europeans, though rather of that pale effete cast which

distinguishes those of our southern nations. Their children, whose skins

had never been stained with paint, also equalled ours in whiteness.

During their youth, some of them have no disagreeable look, if compared

to the generality of the people; but this seems to be entirely owing to

the particular animation attending that period of life, for after

attaining a certain age, there is hardly any distinction. Upon the

whole, a very remarkable sameness seems to characterize the countenances

of the whole nation, a dull phlegmatic want of expression, with very

little variation, being strongly marked in all of them.

The women are nearly of the same size, colour, and form, with the men,

from whom it is not easy to distinguish them, as they possess no natural

delicacies sufficient to render their persons agreeable; and hardly any

one was seen, even amongst those who are in the prime of life, who had

the least pretensions to be called handsome.

Their common dress is a flaxen garment, or mantle, ornamented on the

upper edge by a narrow strip of fur, and at the latter edge, by fringes

or tassels. It passes under the left arm, and is tied over the right

shoulder by a string before and one behind, near its middle, by which

means both arms are free, and it hangs evenly, covering the left side,

but leaving the right open, except from the loose part of the edges

falling upon it, unless when the mantle is fastened by a girdle (of

coarse matting or woollen) round the waist, which is often done. Over

this, which reaches below the knees, is worn a small cloak of the same

substance, likewise fringed at the lower part. In shape this resembles a

round dish-cover, being quite close, except in the middle, where there

is a hole just large enough to admit the head, and then, resting upon

the shoulders, it covers the arms to the elbows, and the body as far as

the waist. Their head is covered with a cap of the figure of a truncated

cone, or like a flower-pot, made of fine matting, having the top

frequently ornamented with a round or pointed knob, or a bunch of

leathern tassels, and there is a string that passes under the chin to

prevent its blowing off.

Besides the above dress, which is common to both sexes, the men

frequently throw over their other garments the skin of a bear, wolf, or

sea-otter, with the hair outward, and tie it as a cloak near the upper

part, wearing it sometimes before and sometimes behind. In rainy weather

they throw a coarse mat about their shoulders. They have also woollen

garments, which, however, are little in use. The hair is commonly worn

hanging down loose; but some, when they have no cap, tie it in a bunch

on the crown of the head. Their dress, upon the whole, is convenient,

and would by no means be inelegant, were it kept clean. But as they rub

their bodies constantly over with a red paint, of a clayey or coarse

ochry substance, mixed with oil, their garments, by this means, contract

a rancid offensive smell, and a greasy nastiness, so that they make a

very wretched dirty appearance; and what is still worse, their heads and

their garments swarm with vermin, which, so depraved is their taste for

cleanliness, we used to see them pick off with great composure and eat.

Though their bodies are always covered with red paint, their faces are

often stained with a black, a bright red, or a white colour, by way of

ornament. The last of these gives them a ghastly, disgusting aspect.

They also strew the brown martial _mica_ upon the paint, which makes it

glitter, the ears of many of them are perforated in the lobe, where they

make a pretty large hole; and two others higher up on the outer edge. In

these holes they hang bits of bone; quills fixed upon a leathern thong;

small shells; bunches of woollen tassels; or pieces of thin copper,

which our beads could never supplant. The _septum_ of the nose, in many,

is also perforated, through which they draw a piece of soft cord; and

others wear, at the same place, small thin pieces of iron, brass, or

copper, shaped almost like a horse-shoe, the narrow opening of which

receives the _septum_, so as that the two points may gently pinch it;

and the ornament thus hangs over the upper lip. The rings of our brass

buttons, which they eagerly purchased, were appropriated to this use.

About their wrists they wear bracelets or bunches of white bugle beads,

made of a conic shelly substance; bunches of thongs, with tassels; or a

broad black shining horny substance, of one piece. And about their

ankles they also frequently wear many folds of leathern thongs, or the

sinews of animals twisted to a considerable thickness.

Thus far of their ordinary dress and ornaments; but they have some that

seem to be used only on extraordinary occasions; either when they

exhibit themselves as strangers, in visits of ceremony, or when they go

to war. Amongst the first may be considered the skins of animals, such

as wolves or bears, tied on in the usual manner, but ornamented at the

edges with broad borders of fur, or of the woollen stuff manufactured by

them, ingeniously wrought with various figures. These are worn either

separately, or over their other common garments. On such occasions, the

most common head-dress is a quantity of withe, or half-beaten bark,

wrapped about the head; which, at the same time, has various large

feathers, particularly those of eagles, stuck in it, or is entirely

covered, or, we may say, powdered with small white feathers. The face,

at the same time, is variously painted, having its upper and lower parts

of different colours, the strokes appearing like fresh gashes; or it is

besmeared with a kind of tallow, mixed with paint, which is afterward

formed into a great variety of regular figures, and appears like carved

work. Sometimes, again, the hair is separated into small parcels, which

are tied at intervals of about two inches, to the end, with thread; and

others tie it together, behind, after our manner, and stick branches of

the _cupressus thyoides_ in it. Thus dressed, they have a truly savage

and incongruous appearance; but this is much heightened, when they

assume what may be called their monstrous decorations. These consist of

an endless variety of carved wooden masks or vizors, applied on the

face, or to the upper part of the head or forehead. Some of these

resemble human faces, furnished with hair, beards, and eye-brows;

others, the heads of birds, particularly of eagles and quebrantahuessos;

and many, the heads of land and sea animals, such as wolves, deer, and

porpoises, and others. But, in general, these representations much

exceed the natural size; and they are painted, and often strewed with

pieces of the foliaceous _mica_, which makes them glitter, and serves to

augment their enormous deformity. They even exceed this sometimes, and

fix on the same part of the head large pieces of carved work, resembling

the prow of a canoe, painted in the same manner, and projecting to a

considerable distance. So fond are they of these disguises, that I have

seen one of them put his head into a tin kettle he had got from us, for

want of another sort of mask. Whether they use these extravagant

masquerade ornaments on any particular religious occasion, or diversion,

or whether they be put on to intimidate their enemies when they go to

battle, by their monstrous appearance; or as decoys when they go to hunt

animals, is uncertain. But it may be concluded, that, if travellers or

voyagers, in an ignorant and credulous age, when many unnatural or

marvellous things were supposed to exist, had seen a number of people

decorated in this manner, without being able to approach so near as to

be undeceived, they would readily have believed, and in their relations

would have attempted to make others believe, that there existed a race

of beings, partaking of the nature of man and beast; more especially,

when, besides the heads of animals on the human shoulders, they might

have seen the whole bodies of their men-monsters covered with

quadrupeds’ skins.[43]

The only dress amongst the people of Nootka, observed by us, that seems

peculiarly adapted to war, is a thick leathern mantle doubled, which,

from its size, appears to be the skin of an elk, or buffalo tanned. This

they fasten on in the common manner; and it is so contrived, that it may

reach up, and cover the breast quite to the throat, falling, at the same

time, almost to the heels. It is sometimes ingeniously painted in

different compartments; and is not only sufficiently strong to resist

arrows, but as they informed us by signs, even spears cannot pierce it;

so that it may be considered as their coat of mail, or most complete

defensive armour. Upon the same occasion, they sometimes wear a kind of

leathern cloak, covered with rows of dried hoofs of deer, disposed

horizontally, appended by leathern thongs, covered with quills; which,

when they move, make a loud rattling noise, almost equal to that of many

small bells. It seems doubtful, however, whether this part of their garb

be intended to strike terror in war, or only is to be considered as

belonging to their eccentric ornaments on ceremonious occasions; for we

saw one of their musical entertainments, conducted by a man dressed in

this sort of cloak, with his mask on, and shaking his rattle.

Though these people cannot be viewed without a kind of horror, when

equipped in such extravagant dresses, yet when divested of them, and

beheld in their common habit and actions, they have not the least

appearance of ferocity in their countenances; and seem, on the contrary,

as observed already, to be of a quiet, phlegmatic, and inactive

disposition; destitute, in some measure, of that degree of animation and

vivacity that would render them agreeable as social beings. If they are

not reserved, they are far from being loquacious; but their gravity is,

perhaps, rather a consequence of the disposition just mentioned, than of

any conviction of its propriety, or the effect of any particular mode of

education. For, even in the greatest paroxysms of their rage, they seem

unable to express it sufficiently, either with warmth of language, or

significancy of gestures.

Their orations, which are made either when engaged in any altercation or

dispute, or to explain their sentiments publicly on other occasions,

seem little more than short sentences, or rather single words, forcibly

repeated, and constantly in one tone and degree of strength, accompanied

only with a single gesture, which they use at every sentence, jerking

their whole body a little forward, by bending the knees, their arms

hanging down by their sides at the same time.

Though there be too much reason, from their bringing to sale human

skulls and bones, to infer that they treat their enemies with a degree

of brutal cruelty, this circumstance rather marks a general agreement of

character with that of almost every tribe of uncivilized man, in every

age, and in every part of the globe, than that they are to be reproached

with any charge of peculiar inhumanity. We had no reason to judge

unfavourably of their disposition in this respect. They seem to be a

docile, courteous, good-natured people; but notwithstanding the

predominant phlegm of their tempers, quick in resenting what they look

upon as an injury; and, like most other passionate people, as soon

forgetting it. I never found that these fits of passion went farther

than the parties immediately concerned; the spectators not troubling

themselves about the quarrel, whether it was with any of us, or amongst

their own body; and preserving as much indifference as if they had not

known any thing about it. I have often seen one of them rave and scold,

without any of his countrymen paying the least attention to his

agitation; and when none of us could trace the cause, or the object of

his displeasure. In such cases they never discover the least symptom of

timidity, but seem determined, at all events, to punish the insult. For,

even with respect to us, they never appeared to be under the least

apprehension of our superiority; but when any difference happened, were

just as ready to avenge the wrong, as amongst themselves.

Their other passions, especially their curiosity, appear in some measure

to lie dormant. For few expressed any desire to see or examine things

wholly unknown to them; and which, to those truly possessed of that

passion, would have appeared astonishing. They were always contented to

procure the articles they knew and wanted, regarding every thing else

with great indifference; nor did our persons, apparel, and manners, so

different from their own, or even the extraordinary size and

construction of our ships, seem to excite admiration, or even engage

attention.

One cause of this may be their indolence, which seems considerable. But,

on the other hand, they are certainly not wholly unsusceptible of the

tender passions; if we may judge from their being so fond of music,

which is mostly of the grave or serious, but truly pathetic sort. They

keep the exactest concert in their songs, which are often sung by great

numbers together, as those already mentioned, with which they used to

entertain us in their canoes. These are generally slow and solemn; but

the music is not of that confined sort found amongst many rude nations;

for the variations are very numerous and expressive, and the cadence or

melody powerfully soothing. Besides their full concerts, sonnets of the

same grave cast were frequently sung by single performers, who keep time

by striking the hand against the thigh. However, the music was sometimes

varied, from its predominant solemnity of air; and there were instances

of stanzas being sung in a more gay and lively strain, and even with a

degree of humour.

The only instruments of music (if such they may be called) which I saw

amongst them, were a rattle; and a small whistle, about an inch long,

incapable of any variation, from having but one hole. They use the

rattle when they sing; but upon what occasions they use the whistle, I

know not, unless it be when they dress themselves like particular

animals, and endeavour to imitate their howl or cry. I once saw one of

them dressed in a wolf’s skin, with the head over his own, and imitating

that animal, by making a squeaking noise with one of these whistles,

which he had in his mouth. The rattles are, for the most part, made in

the shape of a bird, with a few pebbles in the belly; and the tail is

the handle. They have others, however, that bear rather more resemblance

to a child’s rattle.

In trafficking with us, some of them would betray a knavish disposition,

and carry off our goods without making any return. But in general, it

was otherwise; and we had abundant reason to commend the fairness of

their conduct. However, their eagerness to possess iron and brass, and,

indeed, any kind of metal, was so great, that few of them could resist

the temptation to steal it, whenever an opportunity offered. The

inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, as appears from a variety of

instances in the course of this voyage, rather than be idle, would steal

any thing that they could lay their hands upon, without ever

considering, whether it could be of use to them or no. The novelty of

the object, with them, was a sufficient motive for endeavouring, by any

indirect means, to get possession of it; which marked that, in such

cases, they were rather actuated by a childish curiosity, than by a

dishonest disposition, regardless of the modes of supplying real wants.

The inhabitants of Nootka, who invaded our property, cannot have such

apology made for them. They were thieves in the strictest sense of the

word; for they pilfered nothing from us, but what they knew could be

converted to the purposes of private utility, and had a real value

according to their estimation of things. And it was lucky for us, that

nothing was thought valuable by them, but the single articles of our

metals. Linen, and such like things, were perfectly secure from their

depredations; and we could safely leave them hanging out ashore all

night, without watching. The same principle which prompted our Nootka

friends to pilfer from us, it was natural to suppose, would produce a

similar conduct in their intercourse with each other. And, accordingly,

we had abundant reason to believe, that stealing is much practised

amongst them; and that it chiefly gives rise to their quarrels; of which

we saw more than one instance.

CHAP. III.

MANNER OF BUILDING THE HOUSES IN NOOTKA SOUND.—INSIDE OF THEM

DESCRIBED.—FURNITURE AND UTENSILS.—WOODEN IMAGES.—EMPLOYMENTS OF THE

MEN.—OF THE WOMEN.—FOOD, ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE.—MANNER OF PREPARING

IT.—WEAPONS.—MANUFACTURES AND MECHANIC ARTS.—CARVING AND PAINTING.—

CANOES.—IMPLEMENTS FOR FISHING AND HUNTING.—IRON TOOLS.—MANNER OF

PROCURING THAT METAL.—REMARKS ON THEIR LANGUAGE, AND A SPECIMEN OF

IT.—ASTRONOMICAL AND NAUTICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE IN NOOTKA SOUND.

The two towns or villages mentioned in the course of my Journal seem to

be the only inhabited parts of the sound. The number of inhabitants in

both might be pretty exactly computed from the canoes that were about

the ships the second day after our arrival. They amounted to about a

hundred, which, at a very moderate allowance, must, upon an average,

have held five persons each; but, as there were scarcely any women, very

old men, children, or youths amongst them at that time, I think it will

be rather rating the number of the inhabitants of the two towns too low,

if we suppose they could be less than four times the number of our

visitors, that is, two thousand in the whole.

The village at the entrance of the sound stands on the side of a rising

ground, which has a pretty steep ascent from the beach to the verge of

the wood in which space it is situated.

The houses are disposed in three ranges or rows, rising gradually behind

each other, the largest being that in front and the others less; besides

a few straggling or single ones at each end. These ranges are

interrupted or disjoined at irregular distances by narrow paths or lanes

that pass upward; but those which run in the direction of the houses

between the rows are much broader. Though there be some appearance of

regularity in this disposition, there is none in the single houses; for

each of the divisions made by the paths may be considered either as one

house or as many, there being no regular or complete separation, either

without or within, to distinguish them by. They are built of very long

and broad planks[44], resting upon the edges of each other, fastened or

tied by withes of pine-bark here and there, and have only slender posts,

or rather poles, at considerable distances on the outside, to which they

are also tied; but within are some larger poles placed aslant. The

height of the sides and ends of these habitations is seven or eight

feet, but the back part is a little higher, by which means the planks

that compose the roof, slant forward, and are laid on loose, so as to be

moved about, either to be put close to exclude the rain, or in fair

weather to be separated, to let in the light, and carry out the smoke.

They are, however, upon the whole, miserable dwellings, and constructed

with little care or ingenuity. For though the side-planks be made to fit

pretty closely in some places, in others they are quite open, and there

are no regular doors into them, the only way of entrance being either by

a hole where the unequal length of the planks has accidentally left an

opening, or, in some cases, planks are made to pass a little beyond each

other, or overlap, about two feet asunder, and the entrance is in this

space. There are also holes or windows in the sides of the houses to

look out at; but without any regularity of shape or disposition, and

these have bits of mat hung before them to prevent the rain getting in.

On the inside, one may frequently see from one end to the other of these

ranges of buildings without interruption. For though in general there be

the rudiments, or rather vestiges, of separations on each side, for the

accommodation of different families, they are such as do not intercept

the sight, and often consist of no more than pieces of plank, running

from the side toward the middle of the house, so that if they were

complete, the whole might be compared to a long stable with a double

range of stalls, and a broad passage in the middle. Close to the sides

in each of these parts is a little bench of boards, raised five or six

inches higher than the rest of the floor, and covered with mats, on

which the family sit and sleep. These benches are commonly seven or

eight feet long and four or five broad. In the middle of the floor,

between them is the fire-place, which has neither hearth nor chimney. In

one house, which was in the end of a middle range, almost quite

separated from the rest by a high close partition, and the most regular

as to design of any that I saw, there were four of these benches, each

of which held a single family at a corner, but without any separation by

boards; and the middle part of the house appeared common to them all.

Their furniture consists chiefly of a great number of chests and boxes

of all sizes, which are generally piled upon each other close to the

sides or ends of the house, and contain their spare garments, skins,

masks, and other things which they set a value upon. Some of these are

double, or one covers the other as a lid, others have a lid fastened

with thongs, and some of the very large ones have a square hole, or

scuttle, cut in the upper part, by which the things are put in and taken

out. They are often painted black, studded with the teeth of different

animals, or carved with a kind of frieze-work and figures of birds or

animals as decorations. Their other domestic utensils are mostly square

and oblong pails or buckets to hold water and other things, round wooden

cups and bowls, and small shallow wooden troughs about two feet long,

out of which they eat their food, and baskets of twigs, bags of matting,

&c. Their fishing implements and other things also, lie or hang up in

different parts of the house, but without the least order, so that the

whole is a complete scene of confusion; and the only places that do not

partake of this confusion are the sleeping-benches, that have nothing on

them but the mats, which are also cleaner or of a finer sort than those

they commonly have to sit on in their boats.

The nastiness and stench of their houses are, however, at least equal to

the confusion; for, as they dry their fish within doors, they also gut

them there, which, with their bones and fragments thrown down at meals,

and the addition of other sorts of filth, lie every where in heaps, and

are, I believe, never carried away till it becomes troublesome, from

their size, to walk over them. In a word, their houses are as filthy as

hog-sties, every thing in and about them stinking of fish, train-oil,

and smoke.

But, amidst all the filth and confusion that are found in the houses,

many of them are decorated with images. These are nothing more than the

trunks of very large trees four or five feet high, set up singly or by

pairs at the upper end of the apartment, with the front carved into a

human face, the arms and hands cut out upon the sides and variously

painted; so that the whole is a truly monstrous figure. The general name

of these images is _Klumma_, and the names of two particular ones which

stood abreast of each other, three or four feet asunder in one of the

houses, were _Natchkoa_ and _Matseeta_. Mr. Webber’s view of the inside

of a Nootka house in which these images are represented, will convey a

more perfect idea of them than any description. A mat, by way of

curtain, for the most part hung before them, which the natives were not

willing at all times to remove; and when they did unveil them, they

seemed to speak of them in a very mysterious manner. It should seem that

they are at times accustomed to make offerings to them, if we can draw

this inference from their desiring us, as we interpreted their signs, to

give something to these images when they drew aside the mats that

covered them.[45] It was natural, from these circumstances, for us to

think that they were representatives of their gods, or symbols of some

religious or superstitious object; and yet we had proofs of the little

real estimation they were in, for with a small quantity of iron or

brass, I could have purchased all the gods (if their images were such)

in the place. I did not see one that was not offered to me; and I

actually got two or three of the very smallest sort.

The chief employment of the men seems to be that of fishing and killing

land or sea animals for the sustenance of their families, for we saw few

of them doing any thing in the houses; whereas the women were occupied

in manufacturing their flaxen or woollen garments, and in preparing the

sardines for drying, which they also carry up from the beach in twig

baskets, after the men have brought them in their canoes. The women are

also sent in the small canoes to gather muscles and other shell-fish,

and perhaps on some other occasions, for they manage these with as much

dexterity as the men, who, when in the canoes with them, seem to pay

little attention to their sex, by offering to relieve them from the

labour of the paddle; nor, indeed, do they treat them with any

particular respect or tenderness in other situations. The young men

appeared to be the most indolent or idle set in this community, for they

were either sitting about in scattered companies, to bask themselves in

the sun, or lay wallowing in the sand upon the beach like a number of

hogs, for the same purpose, without any covering. But this disregard of

decency was confined to the men. The women were always properly clothed,

and behaved with the utmost propriety, justly deserving all commendation

for a bashfulness and modesty becoming their sex, but more meritorious

in them, as the men seem to have no sense of shame. It is impossible,

however, that we should have been able to observe the exact mode of

their domestic life and employments, from a single visit (as the first

was quite transitory) of a few hours. For it may be easily supposed that

on such an occasion, most of the labour of all the inhabitants of the

village would cease upon our arrival, and an interruption be given even

to the usual manner of appearing in their houses, during their more

remiss or sociable hours when left to themselves. We were much better

enabled to form some judgment of their disposition, and, in some

measure, even of their method of living, from the frequent visits so

many of them paid us at our ships in their canoes, in which it should

seem they spend a great deal of time, at least in the summer season; for

we observed that they not only eat and sleep frequently in them, but

strip off their clothes and lay themselves along to bask in the sun, in

the same manner as we had seen practised at their village. Their canoes

of the larger sort are, indeed, sufficiently spacious for that purpose

and perfectly dry; so that, under shelter of a skin, they are, except in

rainy weather, much more comfortable habitations than their houses.

Though their food, strictly speaking, may be said to consist of every

thing animal or vegetable that they can procure, the quantity of the

latter bears an exceedingly small proportion to that of the former.

Their greatest reliance seems to be upon the sea, as affording fish,

muscles, and smaller shell-fish and sea-animals. Of the first, the

principal are herrings and sardines, the two species of bream formerly

mentioned, and small cod; but the herrings and sardines are not only

eaten fresh in their season, but likewise serve as stores, which after

being dried and smoked, are preserved by being sewed up in mats, so as

to form large bales three or four feet square. It seems that the

herrings also supply them with another grand resource for food, which is

a vast quantity of roe very curiously prepared: it is strewed upon, or

as it were, incrustated about small branches of the Canadian pine; they

also prepare it upon a long narrow sea-grass, which grows plentifully

upon the rocks under water. This _caviare_, if it may be so called, is

kept in baskets or bags of mat, and used occasionally, being first

dipped in water. It may be considered as the winter bread of these

people, and has no disagreeable taste. They also eat the roe of some

other fish, which, from the size of its grains, must be very large, but

it has a rancid taste and smell. It does not appear that they prepare

any other fish in this manner, to preserve them for any length of time.

For though they split and dry a few of the bream and _chimæræ_, which

are pretty plentiful; they do not smoke them as the herrings and

sardines.

The next article on which they seem to depend for a large proportion of

their food, is the large muscle; great abundance of which are found in

the sound. These are roasted in their shells, then stuck upon long

wooden skewers, and taken off occasionally as wanted, being eat without

any other preparation, though they often dip them in oil as a sauce. The

other marine productions, such as the smaller shell-fish, though they

contribute to increase the general stock, are by no means to be looked

upon as a standing or material article of their food, when compared to

those just mentioned.

Of the sea-animals, the most common that we saw in use amongst them, as

food, is the porpoise; the fat or rind of which, as well as the flesh,

they cut in large pieces, and, having dried them, as they do the

herrings, eat them without any farther preparation. They also prepare a

sort of broth from this animal in its fresh state, in a singular manner,

putting pieces of it in a square wooden vessel or bucket, with water,

and then throwing heated stones into it. This operation they repeat till

they think the contents are sufficiently stewed or seethed. They put in

the fresh, and take out the other stones, with a cleft stick, which

serves as tongs; the vessel being always placed near the fire for that

purpose.[46] This is a pretty common dish amongst them; and, from its

appearance, seems to be strong, nourishing food. The oil which they

procure from these and other sea-animals, is also used by them in great

quantities; both supping it alone, with a large scoop or spoon, made of

horn, or mixing it with other food, as sauce.

It may also be presumed that they feed upon other sea-animals, such as

seals, sea-otters, and whales; not only from the skins of the two first

being frequent amongst them, but from the great number of implements of

all sorts intended to destroy these different animals, which clearly

points out their dependance upon them; though perhaps they do not catch

them in great plenty at all seasons, which seemed to be the case while

we lay there, as no great number of fresh skins, or pieces of the flesh,

were seen.

The same might perhaps be said of the land-animals, which, though

doubtless the natives sometimes kill them, appeared to be scarce at this

time; as we did not see a single piece of the flesh belonging to any of

them; and though their skins be in tolerable plenty, it is probable that

many of these are procured by traffic from other tribes. Upon the whole,

it seems plain, from a variety of circumstances, that these people

procure almost all their animal food from the sea, if we except a few

birds, of which the gulls or sea-fowls, which they shoot with their

arrows, are the most material.

As the Canadian pine-branches and sea-grass, on which the fish-roe is

strewed, may be considered as their only winter vegetables; so, as the

spring advances, they make use of several others as they come in season.

The most common of these, which we observed, were two sorts of

liliaceous roots, one simply tunicated, the other granulated upon its

surface, called _mahkatte_ and _koohquoppa_, which have a mildish

sweetish taste, and are mucilaginous, and eaten raw. The next, which

they have in great quantities, is a root called _aheita_, resembling in

taste our liquorice; and another fern root, whose leaves were not yet

disclosed. They also eat, raw, another small, sweetish, insipid root,

about the thickness of _sarsaparilla_; but we were ignorant of the plant

to which it belongs, and also of another root, which is very large and

palmated, which we saw them dig up near the village, and afterward eat

it. It is also probable that, as the season advances, they have many

others which we did not see. For though there be no appearance of

cultivation amongst them, there are great quantities of alder,

gooseberry and currant bushes, whose fruits they may eat in their

natural state, as we have seen them eat the leaves of the last, and of

the lilies, just as they were plucked from the plant. It must, however,

be observed, that one of the conditions which they seemed to require in

all food is, that it should be of the bland or less acrid kind; for they

would not eat the leek or garlic, though they brought vast quantities to

sell, when they understood we were fond of it. Indeed they seemed to

have no relish for any of our food; and, when offered spirituous

liquors, they rejected them as something unnatural and disgusting to the

palate.

Though they sometimes eat small marine animals, in their fresh state,

raw, it is their common practice to roast or broil their food; for they

are quite ignorant of our method of broiling, unless we allow that of

preparing their porpoise broth is such; and indeed their vessels being

all of wood, are quite insufficient for this purpose.

Their manner of eating is exactly consonant to the nastiness of their

houses and persons; for the troughs and platters, in which they put

their food, appear never to have been washed from the time they were

first made, and the dirty remains of a former meal are only sweeped away

by the succeeding one. They also tear every thing, solid or tough, to

pieces, with their hands and teeth; for though they make use of their

knives to cut off the larger portions, they have not, as yet, thought of

reducing these to smaller pieces and mouthfuls, by the same means,

though obviously more convenient and cleanly. But they seem to have no

idea of cleanliness; for they eat the roots which they dig from the

ground, without so much as shaking off the soil that adheres to them.

We are uncertain if they have any set time for meals; for we have seen

them eat at all hours, in their canoes. And yet, from seeing several

messes of the porpoise-broth preparing toward noon, when we visited the

village, I should suspect that they make a principal meal about that

time.

Their weapons are bows and arrows, slings, spears, short truncheons of

bone, somewhat like the _patoo patoo_ of New Zealand, and a small

pickaxe, not unlike the common American _tomahawk_. The spear has

generally a long point, made of bone. Some of the arrows are pointed

with iron; but most commonly their points were of indented bone. The

tomahawk is a stone, six or eight inches long, pointed at one end, and

the other end fixed into a handle of wood. This handle resembles the

head and neck of the human figure; and the stone is fixed in the mouth,

so as to represent an enormously large tongue. To make the resemblance

still stronger, human hair is also fixed to it. This weapon they call

_taaweesh_, or _tsuskeeah_. They have another stone weapon called

_seeaik_, nine inches or a foot long, with a square point.

From the number of stone weapons, and others, we might almost conclude

that it is their custom to engage in close fight; and we had too

convincing proofs that their wars are both frequent and bloody, from the

vast number of human skulls which they brought to sell.

Their manufactures and mechanic arts are far more extensive and

ingenious, whether we regard the design or the execution, than could

have been expected from the natural disposition of the people, and the

little progress that civilization has made amongst them in other

respects. The flaxen and woollen garments, with which they cover

themselves, must necessarily engage their first care, and are the most

material of those that can be ranked under the head of manufactures. The

former of these are made of the bark of a pine-tree, beat into a hempen

state. It is not spun, but, after being properly prepared, is spread

upon a stick, which is fastened across to two others that stand upright.

It is disposed in such a manner that the manufacturer, who sits on her

hams at this simple machine, knots it across with small plaited threads,

at the distance of half an inch from each other. Though, by this method,

it be not so close or firm as cloth that is woven, the bunches between

the knots make it sufficiently impervious to the air, by filling the

interstices, and it has the additional advantage of being softer and

more pliable. The woollen garments, though probably manufactured in the

same manner, have the strongest resemblance to woven cloth. But the

various figures which are very artificially inserted in them, destroy

the supposition of their being wrought in the loom; it being extremely

unlikely that these people should be so dexterous as to be able to

finish such a complex work, unless immediately by their hands. They are

of different degrees of fineness; some resembling our coarsest rugs or

blankets, and others almost equal to our finest sorts, or even softer,

and certainly warmer. The wool of which they are made, seems to be taken

from animals, as the fox and brown _lynx_; the last of which is by far

the finest sort, and, in its natural state, differs little from the

colour of our coarser wools; but the hair, with which the animal is also

covered, being intermixed, its appearance, when wrought, is somewhat

different. The ornamental parts or figures in these garments, which are

disposed with great taste, are commonly of a different colour, being

dyed, chiefly, either of a deep brown, or of a yellow; the last of

which, when it is new, equals the best in our carpets, as to brightness.

To their taste or design in working figures upon their garments,

corresponds their fondness for carving, in every thing they make of

wood. Nothing is without a kind of frieze-work, or the figure of some

animal upon it; but the most general representation is that of the human

face, which is often cut out upon birds, and the other monstrous figures

mentioned before; and even upon their stone and their bone weapons. The

general design of all these things is perfectly sufficient to convey a

knowledge of the object they are intended to represent; but the carving

is not executed with the nicety that a dexterous artist would bestow

even upon an indifferent design. The same, however, cannot be said of

many of the human masks and heads, where they shew themselves to be

ingenious sculptors. They not only preserve, with exactness, the general

character of their own faces, but finish the more minute parts with a

degree of accuracy in proportion, and neatness in execution. The strong

propensity of this people to works of this sort, is remarkable, in a

vast variety of particulars. Small whole human figures; representations

of birds, fish, and land and sea animals; models of their household

utensils and of their canoes, were found amongst them in great

abundance.

The imitative arts being nearly allied, no wonder that, to their skill

in working figures in their garments, and carving them in wood, they

should add that of drawing them in colours. We have sometimes seen the

whole process of their whale-fishery painted on the caps they wear.

This, though rudely executed, serves, at least, to shew, that though

there be no appearance of the knowledge of letters amongst them, they

have some notion of a method of commemorating and representing actions,

in a lasting way, independently of what may be recorded in their songs

and traditions. They have also other figures painted on some of their

things; but it is doubtful if they ought to be considered as symbols,

that have certain established significations, or only the mere creation

of fancy and caprice.

Their canoes are of a simple structure; but, to appearance, well

calculated for every useful purpose. Even the largest, which carry

twenty people or more, are formed of one tree. Many of them are forty

feet long, seven broad, and about three deep. From the middle, toward

each end, they become gradually narrower, the after-part, or stern,

ending abruptly or perpendicularly, with a small knob on the top; but

the fore-part is lengthened out, stretching forward and upward, ending

in a notched point or prow, considerably higher than the sides of the

canoe, which run nearly in a straight line. For the most part they are

without any ornament; but some have a little carving, and are decorated

by setting seals’ teeth on the surface, like studs; as is the practice

on their masks and weapons. A few have, likewise, a kind of additional

head or prow, like a large cut-water, which is painted with the figure

of some animal. They have no seats, nor any other supporters, on the

inside, than several round sticks, little thicker than a cane, placed

across, at mid depth. They are very light, and their breadth and

flatness enable them to swim firmly, without an out-rigger, which none

of them have; a remarkable distinction between the navigation of all the

American nations and that of the southern parts of the East Indies, and

the islands in the Pacific Ocean. Their paddles are small and light; the

shape, in some measure, resembling that of a large leaf, pointed at the

bottom, broadest in the middle, and gradually losing itself in the

shaft, the whole being about five feet long. They have acquired great

dexterity in managing these paddles, by constant use; for sails are no

part of their art of navigation.

Their implements for fishing and hunting, which are both ingeniously

contrived and well made, are nets, hooks, and lines, harpoons, gigs, and

an instrument like an oar. This last is about twenty feet long, four or

five inches broad, and about half an inch thick. Each edge, for about

two-thirds of its length (the other third being its handle), is set with

sharp bone-teeth, about two inches long. Herrings and sardines and such

other small fish as come in shoals, are attacked with this instrument;

which is struck into the shoal, and the fish are caught either upon or

between the teeth. Their hooks are made of bone and wood, and rather

inartificially; but the harpoon, with which they strike the whales and

lesser sea animals, shews a great reach of contrivance. It is composed

of a piece of bone, cut into two barbs, in which is fixed the oval blade

of a large muscle shell, in which is the point of the instrument. To

this are fastened about two or three fathoms of rope; and to throw this

harpoon, they use a shaft of about twelve or fifteen feet long, to which

the line or rope is made fast; and to one end of which the harpoon is

fixed, so as to separate from the shaft, and leave it floating upon the

water as a buoy, when the animal darts away with the harpoon.

We can say nothing as to the manner of their catching or killing land

animals, unless we may suppose that they shoot the smaller sorts with

their arrows, and engage bears, or wolves and foxes, with their spears.

They have, indeed, several nets, which are probably applied to that

purpose[47]; as they frequently throw them over their heads, to shew

their use, when they brought them to us for sale. They also, sometimes

decoy animals, by covering themselves with a skin, and running about

upon all fours, which they do very nimbly, as appeared from the

specimens of their skill, which they exhibited to us, making a kind of

noise or neighing at the same time; and, on these occasions, the masks,

or carved heads, as well as the real dried heads, of the different

animals, are put on.

As to the materials of which they make their various articles, it is to

be observed, that every thing of the rope kind is formed either from

thongs of skins, and sinews of animals, or from the same flaxen

substance of which their mantles are manufactured. The sinews often

appeared to be of such a length, that it might be presumed they could be

of no other animal than the whale. And the same may be said of the bones

of which they make their weapons already mentioned; such as their

bark-beating instruments, the points of their spears, and the barbs of

their harpoons.

Their great dexterity in works of wood may, in some measure, be ascribed

to the assistance they receive from iron tools; for, as far as we know,

they use no other; at least, we saw only one chisel of bone. And though

originally, their tools must have been of different materials, it is not

improbable that many of their improvements have been made since they

acquired a knowledge of that metal, which is now universally used in

their various wooden works. The chisel and the knife are the only forms,

as far as we saw, that iron assumes amongst them. The chisel is a long

flat piece, fitted into a handle of wood. A stone serves for a mallet,

and a piece of fish-skin for a polisher. I have seen some of these

chisels that were eight or ten inches long, and three or four inches

broad; but in general, they were smaller. The knives are of various

sizes; some very large, and their blades are crooked, somewhat like our

pruning-knife; but the edge is on the back or convex part. Most of them

that we saw, were about the breadth and thickness of an iron hoop; and

their singular form marks that they are not of European make. Probably,

they are imitations of their own original instruments, used for the same

purposes. They sharpen these iron tools upon a coarse slate whetstone;

and likewise keep the whole instrument constantly bright.

Iron, which they call _seekemaile_, (which name they also give to tin,

and all white metals,) being familiar to these people, it was very

natural for us to speculate about the mode of its being conveyed to

them. Upon our arrival in the Sound, they immediately discovered a

knowledge of traffic, and an inclination for it; and we were convinced

afterward, that they had not received this knowledge from a cursory

interview with any strangers; but, from their method, it seemed to be an

established practice, of which they were fond, and in which they were

also skilled. With whom they carry on this traffic, may perhaps admit of

some doubt. For though we found amongst them things doubtless of

European manufacture, or at least derived from some civilized nation,

such as iron and brass, it, by no means, appears that they receive them

immediately from these nations. For we never observed the least sign of

their having seen ships like ours before, nor of their having traded

with such people. Many circumstances serve to prove this almost beyond a

doubt. They were earnest in their inquiries, by signs, on our arrival,

if we meant to settle amongst them; and if we came as friends:

signifying, at the same time, that they gave the wood and water freely,

from friendship. This not only proves, that they considered the place as

entirely their property, without fearing any superiority; but the

inquiry would have been an unnatural one, on a supposition that any

ships had been here before, had trafficked, and supplied themselves with

wood and water, and had then departed; for in that case, they might

reasonably expect we would do the same. They, indeed, expressed no marks

of surprise at seeing our ships. But this, as I observed before, may be

imputed to their natural indolence of temper, and want of curiosity. Nor

were they even startled at the report of a musket; till one day, upon

their endeavouring to make us sensible, that their arrows and spears

could not penetrate the hide-dresses, one of our gentlemen shot a musket

ball through one of them, folded six times. At this they were so much

staggered, that they plainly discovered their ignorance of the effect of

fire arms. This was very often confirmed afterward, when we used them at

their village, and other places, to shoot birds, the manner of which

plainly confounded them; and our explanations of the use of shot and

ball were received with the most significant marks of their having no

previous ideas on this matter.

Some accounts of a Spanish voyage to this coast, in 1774, or 1775, had

reached England before I sailed; but the foregoing circumstances

sufficiently prove, that these ships had not been at Nootka.[48] Besides

this, it was evident that iron was too common here; was in too many

hands; and the uses of it were too well known, for them to have had the

first knowledge of it so very lately; or, indeed, at any earlier period,

by an accidental supply from a ship. Doubtless, from the general use

they make of this metal, it may be supposed to come from some constant

source, by way of traffic, and that not of a very late date; for they

are as dexterous in using their tools as the longest practice can make

them. The most probable way, therefore, by which we can suppose that

they get their iron, is by trading for it with other Indian tribes, who

either have immediate communication with European settlements upon that

continent, or receive it, perhaps, through several intermediate nations.

The same might be said of the brass and copper found amongst them.

Whether these things be introduced by way of Hudson’s Bay and Canada,

from the Indians, who deal with our traders, and so successively across

from one tribe to the other; or whether they be brought from the

north-western parts of Mexico, in the same manner; perhaps cannot be

easily determined. But it should seem, that not only the rude materials,

but some articles in their manufactured state, find their way hither.

The brass ornaments for noses, in particular, are so neatly made, that I

am doubtful whether the Indians are capable of fabricating them. The

materials certainly are European; as no American tribes have been found,

who knew the method of making brass; though copper has been commonly met

with, and, from its softness, might be fashioned into any shape, and

also polished. If our traders to Hudson’s Bay and Canada, do not use

such articles in their traffic with the natives, they must have been

introduced at Nootka from the quarter of Mexico, from whence, no doubt,

the two silver table-spoons, met with here, were originally derived. It

is most probable, however, that the Spaniards are not such eager

traders, nor have formed such extensive connections with the tribes

north of Mexico, as to supply them with quantities of iron, from which

they can spare so much to the people here.[49]

Of the political and religious institutions established amongst them, it

cannot be supposed that we should learn much. This we could observe,

that there are such men as chiefs, who are distinguished by the name or

title of _Acweek_, and to whom the others are, in some measure,

subordinate. But, I should guess, the authority of each of these great

men extends no farther than the family to which he belongs, and who own

him as their head. These _Acweeks_ were not always elderly men; from

which I concluded, that this title came to them by inheritance.