N^TH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 63 



on board, he would have kept the reft in order, and our ^ ^^^ ^^ 



bufinefs would have been carried on with eafe and dif- * — ^-^ — '. 

 , 1786. 



paten. ' May. 



Friday z6. 



In the courfe of the afternoon we procured a number 

 of fine hogs, and a good quantity of fait, together with 

 plantains, potatoes, and taro, which laft was the finefl: I 

 ever faw, and not in the leaft inferior to yams : bread-fruit 

 was fcarce, and the little we got was not in a perfed: 

 ftate ; fp that I conclude this is not the proper feafon 

 for it. 



At night fires were lighted all round the bay, and the 

 people on fhore were in conftant motion ; feveral canoes 

 continued near the fliip, and about midnight one of the 

 natives brought off a lighted torch, feemingly with an in- 

 tention of fetting fire to the veffel : on our driving him 

 away, he paddled to the Queen Charlotte, but there they 

 were equally on their guard ; on which he again went on 

 fhore. 



By daylight the next morning we were vifited by a vaft Saturday 27, 

 multitude of the natives ; but ftill no chief was to be feen 

 who had power fufficient to keep them in order, and they 

 grew fo daring and infolent, that I was under the necefTity 

 of placing centinels with cutlalTes to prevent their board- 

 ing us. 



This unexpe6ted reception convinced me that we could 

 do nothing with fafety on fhore without the protedion of 

 a ftrong guard; and our taking a ftep of that kind might 

 probably be attended with fatal confequences ; fo that I 



deter- 



