NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 147 



thieving; and one man had dexterity enough in his pro- ^ ^^^ ^• 

 feffion to fteal a boat-hook out of a boat along-fide, thouo-h * — -— ' 



O ' £3 1786. 



there was a boat-keeper in her, and another crept up the November. 

 rudder chains, and ftole the azimuth compafs out of one "''^^ '''* 

 of the cabin windows, and got clear off with it, notwith- 

 ftanding a perfon was fet to look after them over the ftern. 

 Many other trifling articles were ftole from us in the courfe 

 of the day; which is fcarcely to be wondered at, as I do 

 not think we had lefs than 250 canoes about the fhip at 

 once, which certainly contained more than 1000 people. 



When our trade was over, the natives entreated us to 

 fbiy near the land, and in the morning they would bring 

 us abundance of fine hogs. On my making them this 

 promife, they parted with us in the moft friendly manner, 

 and paddled on fhore. 



At five o'clock the boat returned, and the officer who 

 was in her informed me, that in rowing into the bay 

 which he had been to examine, he carried foundings from 

 twenty to twenty-five fathoms water over a bottom of 

 coral and fand, but that he could find no good anchorage 

 or fhelter for the fhips : in confequence of which inform- 

 ation I gave up the intention of proceeding further into 

 the bay, and determined to ftand off and on a day or two 

 near our prefent fituation, to procure a quantity of good 

 hogs to fait for fea ftock. We tacked occafionally during 

 the night, and at eight o'clock in the morning of the i8th Saturday is. 

 the North point of Owhyhee bore Eaft by South four 

 leagues, and the extremes of Mowee North by Weft, and 

 North Weft by Weft, eight or nine leagues diftant. With 

 a light variable breeze we fteered South Eaft towards Owhy- 



U 2 hee, 



