Chap. II. QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND— NATIVES. 23 
affair. As they came alongside the ship, which had 
almost stopped her way, the canoe was lashed to the 
chains, and the men scrambled on deck with great 
activity. We were at first startled by the quickness 
with which this was done, and by their wild, half- 
naked appearance. All our anticipations had not pre- 
pared us thoroughly for this first meeting; and our 
friend Nayti was so quiet and silent in his manners, 
that the contrast of their demeanour was striking. 
They ran about shaking hands with everybody they 
met, and seemed to consider their appearance as a 
matter of course. One of them, a tall muscular young 
man, ran to assist the helmsman, and seemed proud to 
display some knowledge of nautical terms and the 
manoeuvres of a ship. They all spoke more or less 
broken English, and chattered in a sort of authorita- 
tive way about the best anchorage, giving themselves 
quite the airs belonging to a pilot. They had brought 
on board some fish and potatoes, which we bought for 
a little tobacco. Night closed in as we let go our 
anchor, and they returned to their village. 
August 18th. — This morning, at daylight, we had 
warped farther into the cove, and anchored in 1 1 
fathoms, muddy bottom, within 300 yards of the shore, 
where we fastened a hawser to a tree ; thus occupying 
probably the same spot as Captain Cook, in his nume- 
rous visits to this harbour. There were a good many 
natives on board already ; but, eager to touch the land, 
I got into a small canoe with Nayti, who paddled me 
ashore. The hills, which rise to the height of 1000 
or 1500 feet on three sides of the cove, are covered 
from their tops to the water's edge with an undulating 
carpet of forest. How well Cook has described the 
harmony of the birds at this very spot ! Every bough 
seemed to throng with feathered musicians, and the 
melodious chimes of the bell-bird were especially dis- 
