286 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. 26th, I intended to have put to fea; but both wind and tide 
being againft us, was obliged to wait till noon, when the 
South Weft wind was fucceeded by a calm; and the tide 
turning in our favour, we call off the moorings, and with 
our boats towed the lliips out of the cove. After this, we 
had variable light airs and calms, till four in the afternoon, 
when a breeze fprung up Northerly, with very thick, hazy 
weather. The mercury in the barometer fell unufually 
low; and we had every other fore-runner of an approach¬ 
ing ftorm, which we had reafon to expect would be from 
the Southward. This made me hefitate a little, as night was 
at hand, whether I fhould venture to fail, or wait till the 
next morning. But my anxious impatience to proceed upon 
the voyage, and the fear of lofing this opportunity of get¬ 
ting out of the Sound, making a greater impreflion on my 
mind, than any apprehenfion of immediate danger, I deter¬ 
mined to put to fea at all events. 
Our friends, the natives, attended us, till we were almoft 
out of the Sound; fome on board the lliips, and others in 
their canoes. One of their Chiefs, who had, fome time be¬ 
fore, attached himfelf to me, was amongft the laft who left 
us. Having, before he went, beftowed upon him a fmall 
prefent, I received in return, a beaver-fkin, of much greater 
value. This called upon me to make fome addition to my 
prefent, which pleafed him fo much, that he infifted upon 
my acceptance of the beaver-fkin cloak which he then 
wore; and of which I knew he was particularly fond. 
Struck with this inftance of generofity, and defirous that he 
fhould be no fufferer by his friendihip to me, I prefented to 
him a new broad fword, with a brafs hilt; the poffeftion of 
which made him completely happy. He, and alfo many 
others of his countrymen, importuned us much to pay 
them 
