352 AVOYAGETO 



»77»- of fhot and ball, were received with the moft fienificani: 



April. . ° 



marks of their having no previous ideas on this matter. 



Some account of a Spanifh voyage to this coaft, in iyJ4r 

 or 1775, had reached England before I failed; but the fore- 

 going circumftances fufficiently prove, that thefe fliips had 

 not been at Nootka *. Befides this, it was evident that iron 

 was too common here ; was in too many hands ; and the 

 ufes of it were too well known, for them to have had the 

 firft knowledge of it fo very lately; or, indeed, at any ear- 

 ner period, by an accidental fupply fi'om a fhip. Doubtlefs, 

 from the general ufethey make of this metal, it may be fup- 

 pofed to come from fome conftant fource, by way of traffic, 

 and that not of a very late date ; for they are as dexterous in 

 "ufing their tools as the longeft pracftice can make them. 

 The mod probable way, therefore, by which we can fup- 

 pofe that they get their iron, is by trading for it with other 

 Indian tribes, who either have immediate communication 

 with European fettlcments upon that continent, or receive 

 if, perhaps, through feveral intermediate nations. The 

 fame might be faid of the brafs and copper found amongft 

 them. 



Whether thefe things be introduced by way of Hudfon's 

 Bay and Canada, from the Indians, who deal with our 

 traders, and fo fucceffively acrofs from one tribe to the other;. 

 or whether they be brought from the North Weflern parts 

 of Mexico, in the fame manner; perhaps cannot be eafily 



* We now know that Captain Cook's conjciSlure was well founded. It appears,, 

 from the Journal of this Voyage, already referred to, that the Spaniards had inter- 

 courfc with the natives of this coaft, only in three places, in latitude 41.° 7' ; in latitude 

 47° 21' ; and in latitude 57" 18'. So that they were not within two degrees of 

 Nootka ; and it is moft probable, that the people there never heard of thefe Spanifli 

 Ihips. 



4 determined; 



