NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 241 



Being now convinced that little or nothing could be ^ ^^^ ^' 

 done by fending the boats on another expedition, and ex- " — -^^ 

 ped:ing the long-boat's return in a few days, after which juiy." 

 I intended to get to fea as quick as poffible ; I fet all " *^ 

 hands to work in getting the fhip ready ; a large party 

 were fent on fliore to cut wood, and others were em- 

 ployed about the rigging. 



We daily caught large quantities of falmon, but the 

 unfettled fuate of the weather not permitting us to cure 

 them on board, I fent the boatfwain with a party on fhore Saturday 7. 

 to build a kind of houfe to fmoke them in. On the 9th Monday 9, 

 the houfe was iiniflied, and the boatfwain with his party 

 were employed in fmoking falmon ; there was fufficient 

 room to hang fix hundred fifh up conveniently ; and feven 

 fires being conftantly burning, they were cured very 

 well. In the forenoon one canoe came along-fide with 

 two very good frocks made of fea-otter fkins. The people 

 gave me to underftand that they had been to Wallaamute, 

 and purchafed the frocks at that place, which I had no 

 reafon to doubt ; as I recolledled feeing them about the 

 fhip near a month before this time, fince which they 

 never made their appearance until now. 



The feine was frequently hauled on the nth, and not wednef. u; 

 lefs than 2000 falmon were caught at each haul ; the «> 

 weather, however, preventing us from curing them fo well 

 as could have been wifhed, we kept only a fufficient 

 quantity for prefent ufe, and let the reft efcape. The fal- 

 mon were now in fuch numbers along the fhores, that any 

 quantity whatever might be caught with the greateft eafe. 



I i During 



