NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 239 



of the afFair with our boats, that he then meditated an ^ "^^^ p« 



attack on the Nootka , but very bad weather coming on ' ' 



immediately afterwards, probably fruftrated his defign. June." 



Monday 25. 



The party who were daily fent out to fiHi for cod and 

 halibut had their hooks and lines often broken by large 

 ground-fharks ; feveral of thefe were killed, but they were 

 of no ufe, their livers yielding fcarcely any oil. 



Taatucktellingnuke paid me a vifit on the 26th, Tuefday 26. 

 and was particularly anxious to . take one or two of our 

 people with him on fliore to fpend the night, offering at 

 the fame time to leave fome of his people on board as 

 hoftages till their return. I complied with this lingular 

 requeft, and gave two of the people leave to accompany 

 him on fhore ; he lefc three of his tribe on board, being de- 

 lirous to convince me that he intended no harm. 



Early the next morning the friendly old chief came Wednef. 2;. 

 on board in one of his boats, and brought our people 

 with him. After we had exchanged hoftages, I made the 

 old man and his companions fome trifling prefents, and 

 they went on fhore highly pleafed. 



I FOUND that thefe Indians lodged in temporary huts, 

 compofed only of a few flicks and a little bark ; the prin- 

 cipal part of their food was fifh ; by way of variety they 

 ate the inner rind of the pine-bark dried ; but their greateft 

 luxury v/as a kind of rock-weed covered with the fpawn 

 of fome fiili or other, of which they gather and eat great 

 quantities i they alfo eat the inner rind of the angelica 

 and hemloc roots, which, though poifon to us, by con- 



flant 



r 



