236 Journal of a Voyage through the 



stance, I attributed to our sudden arrival, and the very 

 short notice of it which had been given them. At all 

 events, I had but one line of conduct to pursue, which 

 was to walk resolutely up to them, without manifesting 

 any signs of apprehension at their hostile appearance. 

 This resolution produced the desired effect, for as we ap- 

 proached the houses, the greater part of the people laid 

 down their weapons, and came forward to meet us. I 

 was, however, soon obliged to stop, from the number of 

 them that surrounded me. I shook hands, as usual with 

 such as were the nearest to me, when an elderly man 

 broke through the crowd, and took me in his arms ; 

 another then came, who turned him away without the 

 least ceremony, and paid me the same compliment. The 

 latter was followed by a young man, whom I understood 

 to be his son. These embraces, which at first rather sur- 

 prised me, I soon found to be marks of regard and friend- 

 ship. The crowd pressed with so much violence and con- 

 tention to get a view of us, that we could not move in any 

 direction. Ah opening was at length made to allow a 

 person to approach me, whom the old man made me un- 

 derstand was another of his sons. I instantly stepped 

 forward to meet him, and presented my hand, whereupon 

 he broke the string of a very handsome robe of sea-otter 

 skin, which he had on, and covered me with it. This was 

 as flattering a reception as I could possibly receive, espe- 

 cially as I considered him to be the eldest son of the chief. 

 Indeed it appeared to me that we had been detained here 

 for the purpose of giving him time to bring the robe with 

 which he had presented me. 



The chief now made signs for us to follow him, and he 

 conducted us through a narrow coppice, for several hun- 

 dred yards, till we came to an house built on the ground, 

 which was of larger dimensions, and formed of better ma- 

 terials than any I had hitherto seen ; it was his residence. 

 W e were no sooner arrived there, than he directed mats 

 to be spread before it, on which we were told to take our 

 seats, when the men of the village, who came to indulge 

 their curiosity, were ordered to keep behind us. In our 

 front other mats were placed, where the chief and his 

 counsellors took their seats. In the intervening space, 

 mats, which were very clean, and of a much neater work- 

 manship than those on which we sat, were also spread, and 

 a small roasted salmon placed before each of us. When 



