412 DISTURBANCE WITH NATIVES. March 1830. 
o 
heavy squall, with lightning and thunder, passed over the ship 
this afternoon, depressing the sympiesometer more than I had 
ever witnessed. Very heavy rain followed. 
“8th. In the forenoon I was on a height taking angles, when 
a large smoke was made by natives on a point at the entrance 
of the harbour; and at my return on board the ship, I found 
that two canoes had been seen, which appeared to be full of 
people. Supposing that they were strangers, I went in a 
small boat with two men to see them, and find out if they pos- 
sessed any thing obtained from our lost whale-boat, for I 
thought it probable she might have been taken along the coast 
eastward, to elude our pursuit. I found them in a cove very 
near where our carpenters were at work. They had just landed, 
and were breaking boughs from the trees. I was surprised to 
see rather a large party, about fourteen in number, all of whom 
seemed to be men, except two women who were keeping the 
canoes. They wanted me to go to them, but I remained at a 
little distance, holding up bits of iron and knives, to induce 
them to come to me, for on the water we were less unequal to 
them. They were getting very bold and threatening in their 
manner, and I think would have tried to seize me and my boat, 
had not Lieutenant Kempe come into the cove with six men in 
the cutter, when their manner altered directly, and they began 
to consult together. They were at this time on a rock rising 
abruptly from the water, and the canoes, which I wanted to 
search, were at the foot of the rock. Under such local disad_ 
vantages I could not persevere without arms, for they had 
stones, slings, and spears, ready in their hands. Lieutenant 
Kempe and myself then returned on board for arms and more 
men, for I resolved to drive them out of the harbour, as it was 
absolutely necessary. Already they, or their countrymen, had 
robbed us of a boat, and endangered the lives of several per- 
sons; and had they been allowed to remain near us, the loss of 
that part of another boat which was already built would have 
followed, besides many things belonging to the carpenters and 
armourer, which they were using daily on shore. 
‘* Another motive for searching the canoes, arose from see- 
