62 Mr Scouler's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 



subject at present, as I have reserved every thing relating to 

 the history of the Indians as the subject of a future paper. 



From this period till the first of June, when we embarked 

 on our voyage to the more northern parts of this coast, our 

 botanical labours suffered little intermission ; and, as a good 

 understanding had at last been restored among the Indian 

 tribes, our excursions were more extensive, and we traversed 

 the forests with little apprehension. Thus the time passed 

 away amid constant occupation till the vessel sailed for the 

 more northern parts of the coast, and Mr Douglas set out on 

 a journey of several hundred miles to the interior. 



Previous to our leaving the Columbia, we hired an Indian, 

 who, although at present residing near the fort, was a native 

 of some place in the Gulf of Georgia, to act as an inter- 

 preter among the natives of that part of the coast. He was 

 proud of his office, and for several days before we sailed 

 he was constantly on board the ship, as he was afraid he 

 should be left behind, and lose so favourable an occasion of 

 raising his consequence among the people with whom he re- 

 sided. 



On the 1st of June we set out on this part of our voyage* 

 and on the 8th we saw the mountains of Nootka about ten 

 leagues distant ; but as we did not at present intend to visit 

 that harbour, we continued our voyage for Queen Charlotte's 

 Island, where, after a tedious passage, we arrived on the 23d. 

 The well-known ferocity of the natives of this part of the coast 

 required us to be much more cautious in landing than among 

 the more timid natives of the Columbia. Off this part of the 

 coast we caught great quantities of sea-weed, (Fucus pyrifor* 

 mis,) which was continually floating past us, and a careful ex- 

 amination of it afforded numerous specimens of corallines and 

 other marine animals. 



24th. — A canoe was seen paddling towards us from a small 

 village, and they came on board with no signs of apprehen- 

 sion or surprise. We learned that the name of the village 

 was Skeedans. The contrast between these people and the 

 Columbian Indians was astonishing ; they were tall, handsome, 

 and of a much lighter complexion, and had strong mustaches. 

 The superior size and weight of the paddles of their canoes 



