JULY, 1793.
_Saturday, 18._--At one in the afternoon we renewed our voyage in a
large canoe with four of the natives. We found the river almost one
continued rapid, and in half an hour we came to a house, where, however,
we did not land, though invited by the inhabitants. In about an hour we
arrived at two houses, where we were, in some degree, obliged to go on
shore, as we were informed that the owner of them was a person of
consideration. He indeed received and regaled us in the same manner as
at the last village; and to increase his consequence, he produced many
European articles, and amongst them were at least forty pounds weight of
old copper stills. We made our stay as short as possible, and our host
embarked with us. In a very short time we were carried by the rapidity
of the current to another house of very large dimensions, which was
partitioned into different apartments, and whose doors were on the side.
The inhabitants received us with great kindness; but instead of fish,
they placed a long, clean, and well made trough before us full of
berries. In addition to those which we had already seen, there were
some black, that were larger than the hurtleberry, and of a richer
flavour; others white, which resembled the blackberry in everything but
colour. Here we saw a woman with two pieces of copper in her under lip,
as described by Captain Cook. I continued my usual practice of making
these people presents in return for their friendly reception and
entertainment.
[Transcriber's Note: By context, the date above should read _Friday, 19._]
The navigation of the river now became more difficult, from the numerous
channels into which it was divided, without any sensible diminution in
the velocity of its current. We soon reached another house of the
common size, where we were well received; but whether our guides had
informed them that we were not in want of anything, or that they were
deficient in inclination, or perhaps the means, of being hospitable to
us, they did not offer us any refreshment. They were in a state of busy
preparation. Some of the women were employed in beating and preparing
the inner rind of the cedar bark, to which they gave the appearance of
flax. Others were spinning with a distaff and spindle. One of them was
weaving a robe of it, intermixed with stripes of the sea-otter skin, on
a frame of adequate contrivance that was placed against the side of the
house. The men were fishing on the river with drag-nets between two
canoes. These nets are forced by poles to the bottom, the current
driving them before it; by which means the salmon coming up the river
are intercepted, and give notice of their being taken by the struggles
they make in the bag or sleeve of the net. There are no weirs in this
part of the river, as I suppose, from the numerous channels into which
it is divided. The machines, therefore, are placed along the banks, and
consequently these people are not so well supplied with fish as the
village which has been already described, nor do they appear to possess
the same industry. The inhabitants of the last house accompanied us in
a large canoe. They recommended us to leave ours here, as the next
village was but at a small distance from us, and the water more rapid
than that which we had passed. They informed us also, that we were
approaching a cascade. I directed them to shoot it, and proceeded
myself to the foot thereof, where I re-embarked, and we went on with
great velocity, till we came to a fall, where we left our canoe, and
carried our luggage along a road through a wood for some hundred yards,
when we came to a village, consisting of six very large houses, erected
on pallisades, rising twenty-five feet from the ground, which differed
in no one circumstance from those already described, but the height of
their elevation. They contained only four men and their families. The
rest of the inhabitants were with us and in the small houses which we
passed higher up the river.[1] These people do not seem to enjoy the
abundance of their neighbours, as the men who returned from fishing had
no more than five salmon; they refused to sell one of them, but gave me
one roasted of a very indifferent kind. In the houses there were
several chests or boxes containing different articles that belonged to
the people whom we had lately passed. If I were to judge by the heaps
of filth beneath these buildings, they must have been erected at a more
distant period than any which we had passed. From these houses I could
perceive the termination of the river, and its discharge into a narrow
arm of the sea.
As it was now half past six in the evening, and the weather cloudy, I
determined to remain here for the night, and for that purpose we
possessed ourselves of one of the unoccupied houses. The remains of our
last meal, which we brought with us, served for our supper, as we could
not procure a single fish from the natives. The course of the river is
about West, and the distance from the great village upwards of
thirty-six miles.--There we had lost our dog, a circumstance of no
small regret to me.
_Saturday, 20._--We rose at a very early hour this morning, when I
proposed to the Indians to run down our canoe, or procure another at
this place. To both these proposals they turned a deaf ear, as they
imagined that I should be satisfied with having come in sight of the
sea. Two of them peremptorily refused to proceed; but the other two
having consented to continue with us, we obtained a larger canoe than
our former one, and though it was in a leaky state we were glad to
possess it.
At about eight we got out of the river, which discharges itself by
various channels into an arm of the sea. The tide was out, and had left
a large space covered with sea-weed. The surrounding hills were
involved in fog. The wind was at West, which was ahead of us, and very
strong; the bay appearing to be from one to three miles in breadth. As
we advanced along the land we saw a great number of sea-otters. We
fired several shots at them, but without any success from the rapidity
with which they plunge under the water. We also saw many small
porpoises or divers. The white-headed eagle, which is common in the
interior parts; some small gulls, a dark bird which is inferior in size
to the gull, and a few small ducks, were all the birds which presented
themselves to our view.
At two in the afternoon the swell was so high, and the wind, which was
against us, so boisterous, that we could not proceed with our leaky
vessel, we therefore landed in a small cove on the right side of the
bay. Opposite to us appeared another small bay, in the mouth of which
is an island, and where, according to the information of the Indians, a
river discharges itself that abounds in salmon.
Our young Indians now discovered a very evident disposition to leave us;
and, in the evening, one of them made his escape. Mr. Mackay, however,
with the other, pursued and brought him back; but as it was by no means
necessary to detain him, particularly as provisions did not abound with
us, I gave him a small portion, with a pair of shoes, which were
necessary for his journey, and a silk handkerchief, telling him at the
same time, that he might go and inform his friends, that we should also
return in three nights. He accordingly left us, and his companion, the
young chief, went with him.
When we landed, the tide was going out, and at a quarter past four it
was ebb, the water having fallen in that short period eleven feet and an
half. Since we left the river, not a quarter of an hour had passed in
which we did not see porpoises and sea-otters. Soon after ten it was
high water, and rendered it necessary that our baggage should be shifted
several times, though not till some of the things had been wetted.
We were now reduced to the necessity of looking out for fresh water,
with which we were plentifully supplied by the rills that ran down from
the mountains.
When it was dark the young chief returned to us, bearing a large
porcupine on his back. He first cut the animal open, and having
disencumbered it of the entrails, threw them into the sea; he then
singed its skin, and boiled it in separate pieces, as our kettle was not
sufficiently capacious to contain the whole; nor did he go to rest, till
with the assistance of two of my people who happened to be awake, every
morsel of it was devoured.
I had flattered myself with the hope of getting a distance of the moon
and stars, but the cloudy weather continually disappointed me, and I
began to fear that I should fail in this important object; particularly
as our provisions were at a very low ebb, and we had, as yet, no reason
to expect any assistance from the natives. Our stock was, at this time,
reduced to twenty pounds weight of pemmican, fifteen pounds of rice, and
six pounds of flour, among ten half-starved men, in a leaky vessel, and
on a barbarous coast. Our course from the river was about West-South-West,
distance ten miles.
_Sunday, 21._--At forty minutes past four this morning it was low
water, which made fifteen feet of perpendicular height below the
high-water mark of last night. Mr. Mackay collected a quantity of small
muscles which we boiled. Our people did not partake of this regale, as
they are wholly unacquainted with sea shell-fish. Our young chief being
missing, we imagined that he had taken his flight, but, as we were
preparing to depart, he fortunately made his appearance from the woods,
where he had been to take his rest after his feast of last night.
At six we were upon the water, when we cleared the small bay, which we
named Porcupine Cove, and steered West-South-West for seven miles, we
then opened a channel about two miles and a half wide at
South-South-West, and had a view of ten or twelve miles into it.
As I could not ascertain the distance from the open sea, and being
uncertain whether we were in a bay or among inlets and channels of
islands, I confined my search to a proper place for taking an
observation. We steered, therefore, along the land on the left,
West-North-West a mile and a half; then North-West one fourth of a mile,
and North three miles to an island the land continuing to run
North-North-West, then along the island, South-South-West half a mile,
West a mile and a half, and from thence directly across to the land on
the left, (where I had an altitude,) South-West three miles.[2] From
this position a channel, of which the island we left appeared to make a
check, bears North by East.
Under the land we met with three canoes, with fifteen men in them, and
laden with their moveables, as if proceeding to a new situation, or
returning to a former one. They manifested no kind of mistrust or fear
of us, but entered into conversation with our young man, as I supposed,
to obtain some information concerning us. It did not appear that they
were the same people as those we had lately seen, as they spoke the
language of our young chief, with a different accent. They then
examined everything we had in our canoe, with an air of indifference and
disdain. One of them in particular made me understand, with an air of
insolence, that a large canoe had lately been in this bay, with people
in her like me, and that one of them, whom he called _Macubah_ had fired
on him and his friends, and that _Bensins_ had struck him on the back,
with the flat part of his sword. He also mentioned another name, the
articulation of which I could not determine. At the same time he
illustrated these circumstances by the assistance of my gun and sword;
and I do not doubt but he well deserved the treatment which he
described. He also produced several European articles, which could
not have been long in his possession. From his conduct and appearance,
I wished very much to be rid of him, and flattered myself that he would
prosecute his voyage, which appeared to be in an opposite direction to
our course.
However, when I prepared to part from them, they turned their canoes
about, and persuaded my young man to leave me, which I could not
prevent.
We coasted along the land[3] at about West-South-West for six miles, and
met a canoe with two boys in it, who were dispatched to summon the
people on that part of the coast to join them. The troublesome fellow
now forced himself into my canoe, and pointed out a narrow channel on
the opposite shore, that led to his village, and requested us to steer
towards it, which I accordingly ordered. His importunities now became
very irksome, and he wanted to see everything we had, particularly my
instruments, concerning which he must have received information from my
young man. He asked for my hat, my handkerchief, and in short,
everything that he saw about me. At the same time he frequently
repeated the unpleasant intelligence that he had been shot at by people
of my colour. At some distance from the land a channel opened to us, at
South-West by West, and pointing that way, he made me understand that
_Macubah_ came there with his large canoe. When we were in mid-channel,
I perceived some sheds, or the remains of old buildings on the shore;
and as, from that circumstance I thought it probable that some Europeans
might have been there I directed my steersman to make for that spot.
The traverse is upwards of three miles North-West.
We landed, and found the ruins of a village, in a situation calculated
for defence. The place itself was overgrown with weeds, and in the
centre of the houses there was a temple, of the same form and
construction as that which I described at the large village. We were
soon followed by ten canoes, each of which contained from three to six
men. They informed us that we were expected at the village, where we
should see many of them. From their general deportment I was very
apprehensive that some hostile design was meditated against us, and for
the first time I acknowledged my apprehensions to my people. I
accordingly desired them to be very much upon their guard, and to be
prepared if any violence was offered to defend themselves to the last.
We had no sooner landed, than we took possession of a rock, where there
was not space for more than twice our number, and, which admitted of our
defending ourselves with advantage, in case we should be attacked. The
people in the three first canoes, were the most troublesome, but, after
doing their utmost to irritate us, they went away.
They were, however, no sooner gone, than a hat, a handkerchief, and
several other articles, were missing. The rest of our visitors
continued their pressing invitations to accompany them to their village,
but finding our resolution to decline them was not to be shaken, they,
about sun-set relieved us from all further importunities, by their
departure.
Another canoe, however, soon arrived, with seven stout, well-looking
men. They brought a box, which contained a very fine sea-otter skin,
and a goat skin that was beautifully white. For the former they
demanded my hanger, which, as may well be supposed, could not be spared
in our present situation, and they actually refused to take a yard and a
half of common broad cloth, with some other articles, for the skin,
which proves the unreflecting improvidence of our European traders. The
goat-skin was so bulky that I did not offer to purchase it. These men
also told me that _Macubah_ had been there, and left his ship behind a
point of land in the channel, South-West from us; from whence he had
come to their village in boats, which these people represented by
imitating our manner of rowing. When I offered them what they did not
choose to accept for the otter-skin, they shook their heads, and very
distinctly answered, "No, no." And to mark their refusal of anything we
asked from them, they emphatically employed the same British
monosyllable. In one of the canoes which had left us, there was a seal,
that I wished to purchase, but could not persuade the natives to part
with it. They had also a fish, which I now saw for the first time. It
was about eighteen inches in length, of the shape and appearance of a
trout, with strong sharp teeth. We saw great numbers of the animals
which we had taken for sea-otters, but I was new disposed to think that
a great part of them, at least, must have been seals. The natives
having left us, we made a fire to warm ourselves, and as for supper,
there was but little of that, for our whole daily allowance did not
amount to what was sufficient for a single meal. The weather was clear
throughout the day, which was succeeded by a fine moon-light night. I
directed the people to keep watch by two in turn, and laid myself down
on my cloak.
_Monday, 22._---This morning the weather was clear and pleasant; nor had
anything occurred to disturb us throughout the night. One solitary
Indian, indeed, came to us with about half a pound of boiled seal's
flesh, and the head of a small salmon, for which he asked a
handkerchief, but afterwards accepted a few beads. As this man came
alone, I concluded that no general plan had been formed among the
natives to annoy us, but this opinion did not altogether calm the
apprehensions of my people.
Soon after eight in the morning, I took five altitudes for time, and the
mean of them was 36 deg. 48' at six in the afternoon, 58. 34. time, by the
watch, which makes the achrometer slow apparent time 1h 21m 44s.
Two canoes now arrived from the same quarter as the rest, with several
men, and our young Indian along with them. They brought a very few
small sea-otter skins, out of season, with some pieces of raw seal's
flesh. The former were of no value, but hunger compelled some of my
people to take the latter, at an extravagant price. Mr. Mackay lighted
a bit of touch-wood with a burning-glass, in the cover of his
tobacco-box, which so surprised the natives, that they exchanged the
best of their otter skins for it. The young man was now very anxious to
per suede our people to depart, as the natives, he said, were as
numerous as musquitoes, and of very malignant character. This
information produced some very earnest remonstrances to me to hasten our
departure, but as I was determined not to leave this place, except I was
absolutely compelled to it, till I had ascertained its situation, these
solicitations were not repeated.
While I was taking a meridian, two canoes, of a larger size, and well
manned, appeared from the main South-West channel. They seemed to be
the fore-runners of others, who were coming to co-operate with the
people of the village, in consequence of the message sent by the two
boys, which has been already mentioned; and our young Indian, who
understood them, renewed his entreaties for our departure, as they would
soon come to shoot their arrows, and hurl their spears at us. In
relating our dangers his agitation was so violent, that he foamed at the
mouth. Though I was not altogether free from apprehensions on the
occasion, it was necessary for me disguise them, as my people were panic
struck, and some of them asked if it was my determination to remain
there to be sacrificed? My reply was the same as their former
importunities had received, that I would not stir till I had
accomplished my object; at the same time, to humour their fears, I
consented that they should put everything into the canoe, that we might
be in a state of preparation to depart. The two canoes now approached
the shore, and in a short time, five men, with their families, landed
very quietly from them. My instruments being exposed, they examined
them with much apparent admiration and astonishment. My altitude, by an
artificial horizon, gave 52 deg. 21' 33"; that by the natural horizon was
52 deg. 20' 48" North latitude.[4]
These Indians were of a different tribe from those which I had already
seen, as our guide did not understand their language. I now mixed up
some vermilion in melted grease, and inscribed, in large characters, on
the South-East face of the rock on which we had slept last night, this
brief memorial--"Alexander Mackenzie, from Canada, by land, the
twenty-second of July, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three."
As I thought that we were too near the village, I consented to leave
this place, and accordingly proceeded North-East three miles, when we
landed on a point, in a small cove, where we should not be readily seen,
and could not be attacked except in our front.
Among other articles that had been stolen from us, at our last station,
was a sounding-line, which I intended to have employed in this bay, though
I should not probably have found the bottom, at any distance from the
shore, as the appearance both of the water and land indicated a great
depth. The latter displayed a solid rock, rising as it appeared to me,
from three to seven hundred feet above high water mark. Where any soil
was scattered about, there were cedars, spruce-firs, white birch, and
other trees of large growth. From its precipices issued streams of fine
water, as cold as ice.
The two canoes which we had left at our last station, followed us
hither, and when they were preparing to depart, our young chief embarked
with them. I was determined, however, to prevent his escape, and
compelled him, by animal force, to come on shore, for I thought it much
better to incur his displeasure than to suffer him to expose himself to
any untoward accident among strangers, or to return to his father before
us. The men in the canoe made signs for him to go over the hill, and
that they would take him on board at the other side of it. As I was
necessarily engaged in other matters, I desired my people to take care
that he should not run away; but they peremptorily refused to be
employed in keeping him against his will. I was, therefore, reduced to
the necessity of watching him myself.
I took five altitudes, and the mean of them was 29. 23. 48, at
3. 5. 53. in the afternoon, by the watch, which makes it slow apparent
time.
1h 22m 38s
In the forenoon} 1 21 44 2 44 22
it was }
---------- ----------
Mean of both 1 22 11
Difference of nine hours go- } 8
ing of the time-piece slow }
1 22 19
I observed an emersion of Jupiter's third satellite, which gave 8 deg. 32'
21. difference of longitude. I then observed an emersion of Jupiter's
first satellite, which gave 8 deg. 31' 48. The mean of these observations
is 8 deg. 32' 2. which is equal to 128. 2. West of Greenwich.
I had now determined my situation, which is the most fortunate
circumstance of my long, painful, and perilous journey, as a few cloudy
days would have prevented me from ascertaining the final longitude of
it.[5]
At twelve it was high water, but the tide did not come within a foot and
an half of the high water mark of last night. As soon as I had
completed my observations, we left this place: it was then ten o'clock
in the afternoon. We returned the same way that we came, and though the
tide was running out very strong, by keeping close in with the rocks, we
proceeded at a considerable rate, as my people were very anxious to get
out of the reach of the inhabitants of this coast.
_Tuesday, 23._--During our course we saw several fires on the land to
the Southward, and after the day dawned, their smokes were visible. At
half past four this morning we arrived at our encampment of the night of
the 21st, which had been named Porcupine Cove. The tide was out, and
considerably lower than we found it when we were here before; the
high-water mark being above the place where we had made our fire. This
fluctuation must be occasioned by the action of the wind upon the water,
in those narrow channels.
As we continued onwards, towards the river, we saw a canoe, well manned,
which at first made from us with great expedition, but afterwards
waited, as if to reconnoitre us; however, it kept out of our way, and
allowed us to pass. The tide being much lower than when we were here
before, we were under the necessity of landing a mile below the village.
We observed that stakes were fixed in the ground along the bay, and in
some places machines were fastened to them, as I afterwards learned, to
intercept the seals and otters. These works are very extensive, and
must have been erected with no common labour. The only bird we saw
to-day was the white headed eagle.[6]
Our guide directed us to draw the canoe out of the reach of the tide and
to leave it. He would not wait, however, till this operation was
performed, and I did not wish to let him go alone. I therefore followed
him through a bad road encumbered with under-wood. When we had quitted
the wood, and were in sight of the houses, the young man being about
fifteen or twenty paces before me, I was surprised to see two men
running down towards me from one of the houses, with daggers in their
hands and fury in their aspect. From their hostile appearance, I could
not doubt of their purpose. I therefore stopped short, threw down my
cloak, and put myself in a posture of defence, with my gun presented
towards them. Fortunately for me, they knew the effect of firearms, and
instantly dropped their daggers, which were fastened by a string to
their wrists, and had before been held in a menacing attitude. I let my
gun also fall into my left hand, and drew my hanger. Several others
soon joined them, who were armed in the same manner; and among them I
recognised the man whom I have already mentioned as being so troublesome
to us, and who now repeated the names of Macuba and Benzins, signifying
at the same time by his action, as on a former occasion, that he had
been shot at by them. Until I saw him my mind was undisturbed; but the
moment he appeared, conceiving that he was the cause of my present
perilous situation, my resentment predominated, and if he had come
within my reach, I verily believe, that I should have terminated his
insolence forever.
The rest now approached so near, that one of them contrived to get
behind me, and grasped me in his arms. I soon disengaged myself from
him; and, that he did not avail himself of the opportunity which he had
of plunging his dagger into me, I cannot conjecture. They certainly
might have overpowered me, and though I should probably have killed one
or two of them, I must have fallen at last.
One of my people now came out of the wood. On his appearance they
instantly took to flight, and with the utmost speed sought shelter in
the houses from whence they had issued. It was, however, upwards of ten
minutes before all my people joined me; and as they came one after the
other, these people might have successively dispatched every one of us.
If they had killed me, in the first instance, this consequence would
certainly have followed, and not one of us would have returned home to
tell the horrid fate of his companions.
After having stated the danger I had encountered, I told my people that
I was determined to make these natives feel the impropriety of their
conduct toward us, and compel them to return my hat and cloak which they
had taken in the scuffle, as well as the articles previously purloined
from us, for most of the men who were in the three canoes that we first
saw, were now in the village. I therefore told my men to prime their
pieces afresh, and prepare themselves for an active use of them, if the
occasion should require it. We now drew up before the house, and made
signs for some one to come down to us. At length our young chief
appeared, and told us that the men belonging to the canoes had not only
informed his friends, that we had treated him very ill, but that we had
killed four of their companions whom he had met in the bay. When I had
explained to them as well as it was in my power, the falsehood of such a
story, I insisted on the restoration of everything that had been taken
from us, as well as a necessary supply of fish, as the conditions of my
departure; accordingly the things were restored, and a few dried fish
along with them. A reconciliation now took place, but our guide or
young chief was so much terrified that he would remain no longer with
us, and requested us to follow with his father's canoe, or mischief
would follow. I determined, however, before my departure, to take an
observation, and at noon got a meridian altitude, making this place,
which I named Rascal's Village, 52. 23. 43. North latitude.
On my informing the natives that we wanted something more to eat, they
brought us two salmon; and when we signified that we had no poles to set
the canoe against the current, they were furnished with equal alacrity,
so anxious were they for our departure. I paid, however, for everything
which we had received, and did not forget the loan of the canoe.
[1] Mr. Johnstone came to these houses the first day of the preceding
month.
[2] The Cape or Point Menzies of Vancouver.
[3] Named by Vancouver King's Island.
[4] This I found to be the cheek of Vancouver's Cascade Canal.
[5] Mr. Meares was undoubtedly wrong in the idea, so earnestly insisted
on by him, in his voyage, that there was was North-West practicable
passage to the Southward of sixty-nine degrees and an half of latitude,
as I flatter myself has been proved by my former voyage. Nor can I
refrain from expressing my surprise at his assertion, that there was an
inland sea or archipelago of great extent between the islands of Nootka
and the main, about the latitude where I was at this time. Indeed I
have been informed that Captain Grey, who commanded an American vessel,
and on whose authority he ventured this opinion, denies that he had
given Mr. Meares any such information. Besides, the contrary is
indubitably proved by Captain Vancouver's survey, from which no appeal
can be made.
[6] This bay was now named Mackenzie's Outlet.