fond of mufic, and at his countryfeat was ufually entertained with French horns at dinner. My attention to their playing was the occafion of my committing numberless blunders.-When he called for claret, I carried him fmall-beer; I either fet down the plates with a flourish, or fnatched them away with a jirk; and one unfortunate day, as I was introducing a difh of foup in a minuet, I inclined it a little below the level, and with a kind of femicircular fweep poured it fairly over him. I was difmiffed upon the fpot: and when I pleaded the true reafon in my excufe, I was told, that fuch rafcals as myfelf had no business with an ear for mufic.

In fhort, my cafe is particularly unhappy though I am a better performer than moft Footmen, I fhall never be able to maintain myfelf by my fiddle; and am too much attached to it to get my bread

My fraternity, in general, are too much addicted to music; and in every kitchen, at the polite end of the town, you are fure to hear either a French-horn or a Fiddle. Every black fervant thinks himself qualified, by his complexion, to be. an excellent performer on the first, and every white one, whole ear can diftinguish between Bumper 'Squire Jones, and the Hundredth Pfalm, has no doubt of excelling upon the laft.-But you may affure them from me, that whatever their talents may be, they have but a poor chance to make any thing of them; and that, if they muft be Muficians, the Salt-box, or the Platter and Spoon, are the properest inftruments for a Servant. ANTHONY SCRATCH.

Nootka

covered fnow; but the

Sound, as before on the 26th of April, 1778, Captain Cook foon loft fight of land; but, on the 2d of May, fteering N. W. by N. he difcovered a round elevated mountain, which he called Mount Edgecumbe, and the point of land fhooting out from it, Cape Edgecumbe. The land, extept in fome places clofe to the fea, was all of a confiderable height, and hilly. The more elevated hills

Kaye's Ifland, and Comptroller's Bay) till the 12th of May, when he anchored before a fmall cove, a little within a Cape, to which he gave the name of Cape Hinchingbroke. Near this were fome rocky iflands, to which Mr. Gore was fent in a boat, in hopes of fhooting fome eatable birds. But he had hardly got to them, before about twenty natives made their appearance in two large canoes; on which he thought proper to return to the fhips, and they followed him. They would not venture along-fide, but kept at fome diftance, hollowing aloud, and alternately clafping and extending their arms; and, in a fhort time, began a kind of fong exactly after the manner of thofe at Nootka. Their heads were alfo powdered with feathers. One man held out a white garment, which was interpreted as a fign of friendfhip; and another ftood up in the canoe, quite naked, for almost a quarter of an hour, with his arms ftretch ed out like a cross, and motionless. The canoes were not conftructed of wood, as at Nootka Sound. The frame only, being flender laths, was of that fubftançe; the outside confifting of the fkins of feals, or of fuch like animals. Though Captain Cook returned all their figns of friendship, and, by every expreffive gefture, tried to encourage them to come along fide, he could not prevail. Some of his people repeated feveral of the common words of the Nootka language; but they did not seem to understand them. After receiving fome prefents, which were thrown to them, they retired toward that part of the fhore whence they came; making figns, that they would appear' again the next morning. Two of them, however, each in a small canoe, came in the night; probably with a defign to pilfer fomething, thinking to find all asleep; for they

retired as foon as they found them. felves difcovered.

The next morning, Captain Cook got under fail, in order to look out for fome fnug place, where he might fearch for a leak, which he had lately fprung. At first the clearness of the weather tempted him to fteer to the N. farther up the largest inlet; but bad weather returning, he was obliged to anchor, before he had got so far into the bay as he intended.

The weather, bad as it was, did not hinder three of the natives from paying him a vifit. They canie off in two canoes; two men in one, and one in the other; being the number each could carry ; for they were built and constructed in the fame manner with those of the Efquinaux; only, in the one were two holes for two men to fit in; and in the other but one. Each of these men had a ftick, about three feet long, with the large feathers or wing of birds tied to it. Thefe they frequently held up; with a view, as was gueffed, to cxprefs their pacific difpofition.

The treatment thefe men met with, induced many more to come, between one and two the next morning [the 14th.] in great and fmall canoes. Some ventured on board the ship; but not till fome of the crew had stepped into their boats. Amongst those who came on board, was a good-looking middle-aged man, who was afterward found to be the Chief. He was clothed in a drefs made of the fea otter's fkin; and had on his head fuch a cap as is worn by the people of Nootka Sound, ornamented with fky-blue glafs-beads, about the fize of a large pea. He feemed to fet a much higher value upon thefe, than upon our white glass beads. Any fort of beads, however, appeared to be in high eftimation with thefe people; and they readily gave whatever they had in

exchange

exchange for them; even their fine fea-otter skins. But here it must be observed, that they fet no more value upon these than upon other fkins, which was alfo the cafe at Nootka Sound, till the crew fet a higher price upon them; and even after that, the natives of both places would fooner part with a drefs made of these, than with one made of the skins of wild-cats or of martins.

Thefe people were also defirous of iron; but they wanted pieces eight or ten inches long at leaft, and of the breadth of three or four fingers. For they abfolutely rejected fmall pieces. Confequently, they got but little; iron having, by this time, become rather a scarce article. The points of fome of their fpears were of that metal; others were of copper; and a few of bone; of which the points of their darts, arrows, &c. were compofed. The Captain could not prevail upon the Chief to truft himself below the upper deck; nor did he and his companions remain long on board. But while he had their company, it was neceffary to watch them narrowly, as they foon betrayed a thievifh difpofition. At length, after being about three or four hours along-fide the Refolution, they all left her, and went to the Difcovery; none having been there before, except one man, who, at this time, came from her, and immediately returned thither in company with the reft. When this was observed, it was thought this man had met with fomething there, which he knew would please his countrymen better than what they met with on board the Refolution. But this was an erroneous conjec

ture.

"As foon as they were gone," fays Captain Cook, "I fent a boat to found the head of the bay. For, as the wind was moderate, I had thoughts of laying the fhip afhore, No. 10. VOL. II.

if a convenient place could be found where I might begin our operations to ftop the leak. It was not long before all the Americans left the Difcovery, and inftead of returning to us, made their way toward our boat employed as above. The officer in her feeing this, returned to the fhip, and was followed by all the canoes. The boat's crew had no fooner come on board, leaving in her two of their number by way of a guard, than fome of the Americans ftepped into her. Some prefented their fpears before the two men; others caft loose the rope which fastened her to the fhip; and the reft attempted to tow her away. But the inftant they faw us preparing to oppose them, they let her go, stepped out of her into their canoes, and made figns to us to lay down our arms, having the appearance of being as perfectly unconcerned, as if they had done nothing amifs. This, though rather a more daring attempt, was hardly equal to what they had meditated on board the Discovery. The man who came and carried all his countrymen from the Refolution to the other fhip, had first been on board of her; where, after looking down all the hatchways, and feeing nobody but the officer of the watch, and one or two more, he no doubt thought they might plunder her with ease; efpecially as the lay at some distance from us. It was unquestionably with this view, that they all repaired to her. Several of them, without any ceremony, went on board; drew their knives; made figns to the officer and people on deck to keep off; and began to look about them for plunder. The first thing they met with was the rudder of one of the boats, which they threw overboard to thole of their party who had remained in the canoes. Before they had time to find another object that pleafed their fan

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cy, the crew were alarmed, and began to come on deck armed with cutlaffes. On feeing this, the whole company of plunderers fneaked off into their canoes, with as much deliberation and indifference as they had given up the boat; and they were obferved defcribing to those who had not been on board, how much longer the knives of the fhip's crew were than their own.

It was at this time, that my boat was on the founding duty; which they must have feen; for they proceeded directly for her, after their difappointment at the Discovery.

"May we not, from thefe circumstances, reasonably infer, that these people are unacquainted with fire-arms? For certainly, if they had known any thing of their effect, they never would have dared to attempt taking a boat from under a fhip's guns, in the face of above a hundred men; for moft, of my people were looking at them, at the very inftant they made the attempt. However, after all these tricks, we had the good fortune to leave them as ignorant, in this refpect, as we found them. For they neither heard nor faw a mufquet fired, unless at birds.

"This day, in heaving the anchor out of the boat, one of the feamen, either through ignorance or careleffness, or both, was carried over board by the buoy-rope, and followed the anchor to the bottom. It is remarkable, that, in this very critical fituation, he had prefence of mind to difengage himfelf, and come up to the furface of the water, where he was taken up, with one of his legs fractured in a dangerous manner."

The 15th and 16th was employ. ed in ftopping the leak. This was done in a bay, which Capt. Cook very properly called Snug Corner Bay.

On the 17th, the Captain weighed, and fteered to the North-weftward;

thinking, if there should be any paffage to the North through this inlet, that it must be in that direc'tion. Soon after he was under fail, the natives, in both great and small canoes,, paid another vifit, which gave an additional opportunity of forming a more perfect idea of their perfons, drefs, and other particulars. Thefe vifiters feemed to have no other bufinefs, but to gratify their curiofity; for they entered into no fort of traffic.

From various circumstances, Captain Cook found it highly improbable, that there fhould be a paffage to the North. He proceeded, therefore, on the 18th, to the Southweftward, down the inlet, another paffage to which he discovered, to the S. W. of that by which he came in, which enabled him to shorten his way out to fea. It is feparated from the other by an island, extending eighteen leagues in the direction of N. E. and S. W. to which he gave the name of Montagu Ifland. In this South Weft channel are feveral islands. Those that lie in the entrance, next the open fea, are high and rocky. But thofe within are low ones; and being intirely free from fnow, and covered with wood and verdure, on this account they were called Green Iflands. In a channel between these islands and Montagu Ifland, he fteered on the 19th, and on the 20th, was again in the open fea, the coaft extending Weft by South, as far as the eye could reach.

To the inlet, which Captain Cook had juft left, he gave the name of Prince William's Sound ; and, from what he faw of it, he fuppofed that it occupied at least a degree and a half of latitude, and two of longitude, exclufive of the arms or branches, the extent of which is not known.

The natives were generally not above the common height; though many of them were under it. They

were

were fquare, or strong chested; and the most difproportioned part of their body feemed to be their heads, which were very large; with thick, fhort necks; and large, broad or fpreading faces; which, upon the whole, were flat. Their eyes, though not fmall, fcarcely bore a proportion to the fize of their faces; and their nofes had full, round points, hooked, or turned up at the tip. Their teeth were broad, white, equal in fize, and evenly fet. Their hair was black, thick, ftraight and ftrong; and their beards, in general, thin, or wanting; but the hairs about the lips of those who have them, were ftiff or briftly, and frequently of a brown colour. And several of the elderly men had even large and thick, but ftraight beards.

Though, in general, they agree in the make of their perfons, and largeness of their heads, there is a confiderable variety in their features; but very few can be faid to be of the handfome fort, though their countenance commonly indicates a confiderable fhare of vivacity, good nature, and frankness. And yet fome of them had an air of fullennefs and reserve. Some of the women have agreeable faces; and many are easily distinguishable from the men by their features, which are more delicate; but this fhould be understood chiefly of the youngest fort, or middle-aged. The complexion of fome of the women, and of the children, is white; but without any mixture of red. And fome of the men, who were seen naked, had rather a brownifh or fwarthy caft, which could fcarcely be the effect of any ftain; for they do not paint their bodies.

Their common drefs (for men, women, and children are clothed alike) is a kind of clofe frock, or rather robe; reaching generally to the ankles, though fometimes only to the knees. At the upper part is

a hole juft fufficient to admit the head, with fleeves that reach to the wrift. Thefe frocks are made of the fkins of different animals; the most common of which are those of the fea otter, gray fox, racoon, and pine martin; with many of seal skins; and, in general, they are worn with the hairy fides outward. Some alfo have these frocks made of the fkins of fowls, with only the down remaining on them, which they glue on other fubftances. And we faw one or two woollen garments like those of Nootka. At the feams, where the different skins are fewed together, they are commonly ornamented with taffels or fringes of narrow thongs, cut out of the fame fkins. A few have a kind of cape, or collar; and fome a hood; but the other is the most common form, and feems to be their whole dress in good weather. When it rains, they put over this another frock, ingenioufly made from the inteftines of whales, or fome other large animal, prepared fo fkilfully, as almoft to refemble our gold-beaters leaf. It is made to draw tight round the neck; it's fleeves reach as low as the wrist, round which they are tied with a ftring; and it's fkirts, when they are in the canoes, are drawn over the rim of the hole in which they fit; fo that no water can enter. At the fame time, it keeps the men intirely dry upward. For no water can penetrate through it, any more than through a bladder. It must be kept continually moift or wet; otherwise it is apt to crack or break. This, as well as the common frock made of the fkins, bears a great refemblance to the drefs of the Greenlanders, as defcribed by Crantz, who has likewife many other very ftriking inftances, in which the Greenlanders and Americans of this Sound resemble each other.

In general, they do not cover their legs, or feet; but a few have

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a kind