North-West Continent of America. 



247 



parts ; some small gulls, a dark bird which is inferior in 

 size to the gull, and a few small ducks, were all the birds 

 which presented themselves to our view. 



At two in the afternoon the swell was so high, and the 

 wind, which was against us, so boisterous, that we could 

 not proceed with our leak}- vessel, we therefore landed in 

 a small cove on the right side of the bay. Opposite to us 

 appeared another small bay, in the mouth of which is an 

 island, and where, according to the information of the 

 Indians, a river discharges itself that abounds in salmon. 



Our young Indians now discovered a very evident dis- 

 position to leave us ; and, in the evening, one of them 

 made his escape. Mr. Mack ay, however, with the other, 

 pursued and brought him back ; but as it was by no means 

 necessary to detain him, particularly as provisions did not 

 abound with us, I gave him a small portion, with a pair of 

 shoes, which were necessary for his journey, and a silk 

 handkerchief, telling him at the same time, that he might 

 go and inform his friends, that we should also return in 

 three nights. He accordingly left us, and his companion, 

 the young Chief, went with him. 



When we landed, the tide was going out, and at a quar- 

 ter past four it was ebb, the water having fallen in that 

 short period eleven feet and an half. Since we left the 

 river, not a quarter of an hour had passed in which we did 

 not see porpoises and sea-otters. Soon after ten it was 

 high water, which rendered it necessary that our baggage 

 should be shifted several times, though not till some of 

 the things had been wetted. 



We were now reduced to the necessity of looking out 

 for fresh water, with which we were plentifully supplied 

 by the rills that ran down from the mountains. 



When it was dark, the young Chief returned to us, bear- 

 ing a large porcupine on his back. He first cut the animal 

 open, and having disencumbered it of the entrails, threw 

 them into the sea ; he then singed its skin, and boiled it in 

 separate pieces, as our kettle was not sufficiently capacious 

 to contain the whole : nor did he go to rest, till* with the 

 assistance of two of my people who happened to be awake, 

 every morsel of it was devoured. 



I had nattered myself with the hope of getting a distance 

 of the moon and stars, but the cloudy weather continually 

 disappointed me, and I began to fear that I should fail in 

 this important object j particularly as our provisions were 



