NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 277 



C H A P. 

 XIII. 



A SHORT time before they intended failing to return to 

 the fhip, and while the people were bufy in putting the 

 boat to rights on deck, the Indians went in two boats, and Auguft. 

 took an opportunity of cutting their cable. The anchor ^ "^'-'J- 

 lay in twenty- eight fathoms water without a buoy, fo 

 that there was no chance of recovering it. After doing 

 this piece of mifchief, the Indians made for the fhore 

 with all the hafle imaginable, and landed at a little dif- 

 tance from the long-boat. Our people purfued them, and 

 being a good deal exafperated at their daring and infolent 

 behaviour, they landed with the boat, and entirely de- 

 ftroyed both the Indian boats. The natives fled with pre- 

 cipitation into the woods, which put a ftop to our people's 

 purfuit; and I believe they did them no further injury. I 

 was forry that the boat's crew fhould have been under the 

 neceflity of taking this ftep ; but undoubtedly this crime 

 committed by the Indians was of fo very mifchievous a, 

 nature, that it became necefTary to punifh them in fome 

 meafure for it ; and it is very probable that deftroying their 

 boats (which it muft coft them much time and trouble to 

 rebuild) would make a greater impreflion than even taking 

 away numbers of their lives. After filling their water, 

 and getting a little wood on board, the long-boat returned 

 to the fhip by the fame paffage that they went through, 

 and during the whole paffage did not fee a fingle canoe. 



The night before they got on board, James Blake, one 

 of the boat's crew, fell overboard : the boat was going 

 very faft through the water when, this accident happened, 

 and had got a conhderable way to leeward before they 

 brought her to. Blake could fwim but very indifferently, 

 but fortunately was faved by John M'Coy (another of the 

 7 boat's 



