NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 287 



About feven in the morning the Indian chief with his ^ ^^^ ^• 

 party returned on board, and our trade again commenced ; > — ->^— / 

 but I found him equally tedious in the difpofal of his furs Auguit. 

 as on the preceding day. Towards noon I fent Mr. Hay- "^ "^^^ ^'' 

 ward to the South point of the entrance into the Sound, 

 to get a meridian altitude. He landed on the South point, 

 and got one which gave the latitude of that point 57° 44/ 

 North ; the latitude of the fhip's place in the harbour was 



57" 46'. 



During the day I bought of my vifiters about the fame 

 quantity of furs as I had done the day before, and nearly 

 at the fame prices. About feven o'clock, our trading was 

 finifhed ; and as I knew the neighbourhood was cleared of 

 all the furs, I determined to quit the Sound the firft op- 

 portunity ; and this evening the fhip was put in a flate 

 fit for fea. 



I FOUND this party from the Korth Weft much more 

 addid:ed to thieving than any of our former visiters in the 

 Sound were ; and it is really aftonifhing to fee with what 

 patience a thief will wait when once he has fixed his eye 

 on the thing he means to fteal, and with what fecrecy 

 and dexterity they will convey their booty away. One 

 fellov/ in particular took a liking to my drinking-mug, 

 which was a black-jack ; and he had got it under his 

 frock, which are made in the fame manner as at Prince 

 William's Sound ; but very unfortunately for the poor 

 fellow, it happened to be about half full of beer, a part 

 of which fplafhing over, difcovered the thief and his in- 

 tentions. Notwithftanding I kept two people conftantly 

 in ray cabin to watch the by-ftanders, whilft I traded with 



