114 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



c HA P. Q^ the 30th wewcre viiited by feveral canoes, from whom 



V- — , — > we purchafed fome good fea-otterfkins, together with feveral 

 July! marmot cloaks, racoons, and foxes ; they alfo brought us 



Sunday 30. pj^j^^y of cxcelleut frcfh falmon, which we obtained for beads 



-and buttons. Our traffic for fome days was much in the 



fame fbate, and the behaviour of the natives was very quiet 



and peaceable ; however, according to Indian cuflom, they 



made no fcruple of thieving, and fome that were on board 



Th^"fda^' ^^^ ^^^^g George on the 3d Auguft, gave us a fpecimen of 

 their talents in that line, by ftealing the hook from a 

 biock-ftrap, and a grindftone-handle, which being made 

 of iron, was no doubt reckoned a prize. I did not 

 however think it prudent to ufe violence with them for 

 thefe trifling depredations, and contented myfelf with or- 

 dering a good look-out to be kept, to prevent their ftealing 

 any thing in future. 



An elderly chief went on board the Queen Charlotte, 

 from whom captain Dixon gathered fome information re- 

 •fpedling the Ruffians. He clearly underftood from the 

 old man's pointing to the guns, and defcribing the ex- 

 ploiion they made, as well as from other circumftances, 

 that there had lately been a battle between the Ruffians 

 and the natives, in which the Ruffians were worfted : the 

 chief at the fame time intimated, that they would not 

 ' quarrel with us on that account, as he was certain we be- 

 longed to another nation, from the difference in our drefs. 

 Flow this quarrel originated we could not learn, but moft 

 probably it was occalioned by theft. 



The Indians, on leaving the ffiip, gave us to under- 

 ftand that their neighbourhood was drained of furs, but that 



they 



