250 



Journal of a Voyage through the 



rected my steersman to make for that spot. The tra- 

 verse is upwards of three miles North- West. 



We landed, and found the ruins of a village, in a situa- 

 tion calculated for defence. The place itself was over- 

 grown with weeds, and in the centre of the houses there was 

 a temple, of the same form and construction as that which 

 I described at the large village. We were soon followed 

 by ten canoes, each of which contained^rom three to six 

 men. They informed us that we were expected at the 

 village, where we should see many of them. From their 

 general deportment I was very apprehensive that some 

 hostile design was meditated against us, and for the first 

 time I acknowledged my apprehensions to my people. I 

 accordingly desired them to be very much upon their 

 guard, and to be prepared if any violence was offered to 

 defend themselves to the last. 



W e had no sooner landed, th?.n we took possession of a 

 rock, where there was not space for more than twice our 

 number, and which admitted of our defending ourselves 

 with advantage, in case we should be attacked. The 

 people in the three first canoes, were the most troublesome, 

 but, after doing their utmost to irritate us, they went 

 away. They were, however, no sooner gone, than an hat, 

 an handkerchief, and several other articles, were missing. 

 The rest of our visitors continuedtheir pressing invitations 

 to accompany them to their village, but finding our resolu- 

 tion to decline them was not to be shaken, they, about sun- 

 set relieved us from all further importunities, by their 

 departure. 



Another canoe, however, soon arrived, with seven, 

 stout well-looking men. They brought a box, which con- 

 tained a very fine sea-otter skin, and a goat skin, that was 

 beautifully white. For the former they demanded my 

 hanger, which, as may well be supposed, could not be spar- 

 ed in our present situation, and they actually refused to 

 take a yard and an half of common, broad cloth, with some 

 other articles, for the skin, which proves the unreflecting 

 improvidence of our European traders. The goat-skin 

 was so bulky that I did not offer to purchase it. Th^se 

 men also told me that Macubah had been there, and left his 

 ship behind a point of land in the channel, South-West 

 from us ; from whence he had come to their village in 

 boats, which these people represented by imitating our 

 manner of rowing. When I offered them what they did 



