Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/197

191 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO N. W. AMERICA. 191 26th. In the afternoon we were of[f] Skittigass & af- forded us an opportunity of sending our interpreter ashore. Although in one respect he dissapointed our hopes by stealing when he had an opportunity of doing it ; we ought not to judge of him with the same severity as we would do of those who know better. It ought rather to be our wish that this interesting island may obtain some knowl- edge of moral responsibility & religious principles. The acuteness of the Queen Charlotte's Islanders has prompted them to adopt a great many customs of civilized life, & the cultivation of potatoes is very general among them, and had our time admitted of it we might have ob- tained any quantity of this usefull vegetable. This con- sideration alone, in my opinion, places them far above the natives of the Columbia in the scale of intelligence. With all the advantage of having Europeans constantly among them I do not know of one improvement requiring the smallest exertion that has been adopted by the Cheenooks. Poor Skittigass Tom was the only Indian that ever ex- pressed much anxiety to learn to read and write, & was very fond of obtaining a few ciphers. He made charts of Nass & Skittigass, which served to give a very good idea of the coast & of the different tribes settled along it. In the afternoon we saw two vessels getting out of Skit- tigass harbour & had the pleasure of receiving a visit from Mr. Kelly, Master of the Brig Owyhee, who informed us that the other vessel was the Volunteer, Captain Barker. Although engaged in the same trade, Mr. Kelly behaved in the most friendly & unreserved manner towards us, & gave us all the information in his power respecting the Indians. He assured us that on every part of the coast the natives were hostile & would be ready to seize every opportunity of cutting of[f] those who went ashore & of surprising the vessel. The only exception to this hostile disposition was