North-West Continent of America, 249 



young chief, with a different accent. They then exa- 

 mined every thing we had in our canoe, with an air of 

 indifference and disdain. One of them in particular made 

 me understand, with an air of insolence, that a large canoe 

 had lately been in this bay, with people in her like me, and 

 that one of them, whom he called Macubah, had fired on 

 him and his friends, and then Bensins had struck him on 

 the back, with the flat part of his sword. He also men- 

 tioned another name, the articulation of which I could not 

 determine. At the same time he illustrated these cir- 

 cumstances by the assistance of my gun and sword ; and 

 I do not doubt but he well deserved the treatment which 

 he described. He also produced several European arti- 

 cles, which could not have been long in his possession* 

 From his conduct and appearance, I wished very much to 

 be rid of him, and flattered myself that he would prose- 

 cute his voyage, which appeared to be in an opposite di- 

 rection to our course. However, when I prepared to 

 part from them, they turned their canoes about, and per- 

 suaded my young man to leave me, which I could not 

 prevent. 



We coasted along the land* at about West-South- West 

 for six miles, and met a canoe with two boys in it, who 

 were dispatched to summon the people on that part of the 

 coast to join them. The troublesome fellow now forced 

 himself into my canoe, and pointed out a narrow channel 

 on the opposite shore, that led to his village, and request- 

 ed us to steer towards it, which I accordingly ordered. 

 His importunities now became very irksome, and he 

 wanted to see every thing we had, particularly my instru- 

 ments concerning which he must have received informa- 

 tion from my young man. He asked for my hat, my hand- 

 kerchief, and, in short, every thing he saw about me. 

 At the same time he frequently repeated the unpleasant 

 intelligence that he had been shot at by people of my co- 

 lour. At some distance from the land a channel opened 

 to us, at South-West by West, and pointing that way, he 

 made me understand that Macuhah came there with his 

 large canoe. When we were in mid-channel, I perceived 

 some sheds, or the remains of old buildings, on the 

 shore ; and as, from that circumstance, I thought it pro- 

 bable that some Europeans might have been there, I di- 



* Named by Vancouver King's Island. 

 2H 



