Friday i3. 



228 AVOYAGETOTHE 



being along-fide: I therefore deferred founding, and; 

 rowed immediately for the fhip, where I arrived about 

 May." noon, and purchafed a few good fkins from the natives. 

 On my inquiring for falmon, they gave me to underftand 

 that there was none at prefent ; but that when the fnow 

 melted from the hills^ there would be plenty.,. 



Sunday 20. As the articles we had to barter with did not feem toi 

 be held in great eflimation, I determined to difpatch the 

 whale-boat and yaul, under the diredion of Mr. Crefsle- 

 man the fecond mate and Mr. Bryant, on board the Nootka, 

 to requeft of captain Meares fome articles of trade which 

 I wanted, and knew he could well fpare; at the fame 

 time they were to trade with the natives up the Sound if 

 any opportunity offered. I intended to have gone myfelf,. 

 or fent Mr. M'Leod on this bulinef^; but he had been 

 fo frequently laid up with a complaint in the bladder, that. 

 I could neither truft him with the care of the fhip for any 

 length of time, or fend him out with the boats, for fear 

 of his complaint returning at a time when he might be 

 particularly wanted. In the forenoon we had frefh gales 

 from the Eaftward, but the weather growing moderate 

 about two o'clock, I fent the boats off to proceed up the 

 Sound. We now had no boat left by the fhip, nor any 

 other way of getting on fhore but in the Sandwich Ifland. 

 canoe; and fhe being very dangerous for any who did not 

 underOand how to manage her, it became neceffary to con- 

 trive fome fafer kind of conveyance. Accordingly the- 

 carpenter, affifted by the cooper and three other hands,, 

 begun to build a punt of twelve feet long, fix feet wide, 

 and about three feet deep. This plan was firft fuggefted 

 by the carpenter, and I approved of it very much, as the 



punt 



