THIRD VOYAGE 353 



The under lips of both were bored, and they had in their 

 possession some such glass beads as I had met with before 

 amongst their neighbours. But iron was their beloved 

 article. For four knives, which we had made out of an 

 old iron hoop, I got from them near four hundred pounds 

 weight of fish, which they had caught on this or the pre- 

 ceding day. I gave the child, who was a girl, a few beads, 

 on which the mother burst into tears, then the father, then 

 the cripple, and at last, to complete the concert, the girl 

 herself. But this music continued not long. Before night 

 we had got the ships amply supplied with wood, and had 

 carried on board above twelve tuns of water to each. 



" Some doubts being still entertained whether the coast 

 we were now upon belonged to an island or the American 

 continent, and the shallowness of the water putting it out 

 of our power to determine this with our ships, I sent 

 Lieutenant King with two boats under his command, to 

 make such searches as might leave no room for a variety 

 of opinions on the subject. 



" This officer returned from his expedition on the 16th, 

 and reported that he proceeded with the boats about three 

 or four leagues farther than the ships had been able to go, 

 that he then landed on the west side ; that from the heights 

 he could see the two coasts join, and the inlet terminate 

 in a small river or creek, before which were banks of sand 

 or mud, and everywhere shoal water. 



" From the elevated spot on which Mr. King surveyed 

 the Sound, he could distinguish many extensive valleys 

 with rivers running through them, well wooded, and 

 bounded by hills of a gentle ascent and moderate height. 



" In honour of Sir Fletcher Norton, speaker of the House 

 of Commons, and Mr. King's near relation, I named this 

 inlet Norton's Sound. 



" It was now high time to think of leaving these northern 

 regions, and to retire to some place during the winter, 

 where I might procure refreshments for my people, and 

 a small supply of provisions. No place was so conveniently 

 within our reach where we could expect to have our wants 

 relieved as the Sandwich Islands. To them, therefore, I 

 determined to proceed. 



" On the 2nd of October, at daybreak, we saw the island 

 of Oonalashka, bearing south-east. But as this was to 

 us a new point of view, and the land was obscured by a 

 thick haze, we were not sure of our situation till noon, 

 when the observed latitude determined it. But as all 

 harbours were alike to me, provided they were equally 

 safe and convenient, I hauled into a bay that lies ten 

 miles to the westward of Samganoodha, known by the name 

 68 L 



