PEOPLE OF 7ANC0UVEE ISLAND. 71 



the little rocky islet in the centre of the harbour. Toward the head of the harbour, on 

 the east side, is a somewhat remarkable rock-shelter, formed by an overhanging cliff, 

 beneath which several houses were, at one time, built. 



There can, I believe, be little doubt that the bay at the village of Na-wT-tT was the 

 site of the destruction of the "Tonquin," and massacre of the crew of that vessel. As 

 this is a point of some historic interest, the reasons for this belief may here be briefly 

 stated. The " Tonquin " was a vessel of 290 tons burden, belonging to Astor's American 

 Fur Company. After reaching Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia, in 1811, she was 

 sent on a trading voyage to the north, leaving Astoria on June 5th. It is unnecessary to 

 detail the circumstances leading to the attack on the vessel while at anchor, the massacre 

 of the crew, and the subsequent explosion of the magazine, by which the ship was 

 destroyed, and a large number of natives who had crowded on board were killed. The 

 facts, so far as known, were subsequently obtained from an Indian interpreter, who alone 

 escaped, and are recorded by Eoss Cox and Franchere.' It has been generally stated 

 that the scene of this lamentable occurrence was in Nootka Sound, which version Bancroft, 

 in his "History of the North-west Coast" (1884), follows, while Greeuow, in his " Memoir 

 on the North-west Coast of North America" (1840), believes Clayoquot, also on the west 

 coast of Vancouver, to have been the place in question. The name of the locality, as 

 reported by the Chehalis interpreter, is, however, sufficiently distinctive, and I can only 

 account for the circumstance that its correspondence with Na-wl-tî has been overlooked, 

 by the fact that this name has not usually appeared on the maps of the coast, though 

 " Nahwitti Bar " and " Nahwitti Cone " occur on the detailed charts of the northern 

 part of Vancouver Island. 



Ross Cox, who came into personal contact with the escaped interpreter at Astoria, 

 writes : '• A few days after their departure from the Columbia, they anchored opposite a large 

 village, named New "Whitty, in the vicinity of Nootka, where Mr. McKay immediately 

 opened a smart trade with the natives." After giving the relation of the interpreter as to 

 the massacre and explosion, he describes the escape of three of the crew in a boat. " They 

 rowed hard for the mouth of the harbour, with the intention, as is supposed, of coasting 

 along the shore to the Columbia ; but after passing the bar, a head wind and flowing 

 tide drove them back, and compelled them to laud, late at night, in a small cove," where 

 they were subsequently found and killed by the Indians. 



Franchere's version of the story {Op. cit. p. 136) is nearly identical with that of Cox, 

 except that he gives the name as " Nouhity." 



Though stated in the Vancouver Pilot, to be unsuited for an anchorage, by reason of the 

 rocky bottom, the little bay on the east side of Cape Commerell, at Na-wT-tT, is moderately 

 well sheltered, and is the first place on the north shore to the east of Cape Scott, which 

 could be utilised as a harbour. It would occur to no one, not possessed of an accurate 

 chart, to attempt to enter Bull Harbour, in the vicinity. The mention of a bar over which 

 a strong tide runs again agrees with " Nahwitti Bar " of the chart, while no bar is found 

 at the entrance to Nootka or Clayoquot Sounds. Bancroft, notwithstanding the general 

 completeness of his information in such matters, was evidently unaware of the existence 

 of Na-wï-tï when he wrote ; — " The Chehalis, from whom alone we have any direct 



' Narrative of a Voyage to the Columbia River (1832) and Relation d'un voyage à la Côte du Nord-Ouest de 

 l'Amérique Septentrionale, Montreal (1820). 



