7$ Mr Scolder's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 



bours depends solely on his wealth, and the number of his 

 people. The ascendancy he formerly possessed, arose from the 

 almost complete monopoly of European trade, which the fortu- 

 nate situation of his tribe enabled him to maintain ; and even 

 at present the canoes of strangers were allowed to visit us with 

 much suspicion, and sometimes they were driven away. The 

 only other people we saw at Nootka, were the Wickananish, the 

 Cleyoquats, and Nittinats, who differed in nothing from Noot- 

 kans. 



31st. — To-day the whole village of Macuinna seemed in 

 motion, preparing to visit the vessel, and we soon had upwards 

 of twenty-five canoes around the ship, or, as they called it, 

 tyee mamatly, and the chief and his sons remained on board 

 the whole day. With the exception of old Macuinna, the 

 Nootkans were in a state of happy ignorance with regard to 

 rum and tobacco. The chief was perpetually teasing us in 

 our turn for rum, an article which we were determined not to 

 give him, believing such conduct one of the best ways of 

 maintaining a good understanding between us. While in this 

 situation, we obtained all the good fare Nootka could afford, 

 salmon, flat-fish, venison, chamass, and sallal. * 



1st August. — We landed near the ship, and as it was not 

 safe to travel far among Indians of so suspicious a character, 

 I contented myself with amassing such plants as the neigh- 

 bouring rocks afforded. A short time after our return to the 

 vessel, some hooks were stolen from the boat ; but on inform- 

 ing Macuinna that we were resolved to procure the articles 

 which were carried off, a canoe was dispatched, which quickly 

 returned with the property 



My herborizing yesterday had attracted the notice of the 

 natives, and several of them brought plants to sell in their ca- 

 noes. To encourage this disposition, I bought them all, and, 

 by this means, ascertained that some of the vegetables brought 

 by the Spaniards still existed in a degenerate state. In this 

 situation, I also obtained specimens of the Fucus pyriformis % 

 a plant much more plentiful in the southern hemisphere. This 



* Chamass is the root of a plant resembling the wood hyacinth, and sal- 

 lal is the berries of the Gualtheria sliallon, which are of the size of black 

 currants, but have a much sweeter taste. 



