486 



DE FUCA'S STRAITS AND 



The ship, on anchoring, was surrounded by many canoes of the 

 Classet Indians, who inhabit the country around Cape Flattery. They 

 were well disposed to trade, and were greatly surprised that so large 

 a ship should want no furs, which were of several kinds: the sea-otter 

 was that most prized, and held at very exorbitant prices, more than 

 they could be bought for in the United States. George, the chief of 

 the Tatoucne tribe, as he terms himself, was on board all day. He 

 speaks a few words of English, and is a fine-looking man. It was 

 difficult to make him or any of his people understand the use of a man- 

 of-war, the number of people on board, and the care that was taken 

 to keep them from coming on board. He showed it by continually 

 asking, "What for so big ship?" "What for so many mans 1 ?" — all 

 probably proceeding from his disappointment in not being able to sell 

 his skins. I succeeded in getting his likeness with the camera lucida, 

 with which he was much pleased ; and although at first silent, and 

 apparently surly, he finally became quite talkative. 



TATOCCIIE CHIEF. 



On my remarking a scar on the bridge of his nose, and others in the 

 tribe who had the same mark, he told me it was the custom with them 

 to cut the nose when they had taken a whale, which they considered a 

 great exploit. The fishing season is in August and September. Their 

 mode of capturing a whale is with buoys, made of seal-skin, which are 

 blown up after the fashion of bladders, and form a large oblong float : 

 these are four feet long, by eighteen inches or two feet in diameter, 

 and are attached by a rope to the harpoon or spear, which is thrown 

 at the whale, and becoming fastened to him, prevents his diving down 

 to any great depth ; after having a number of these attached to him, he 



