Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/330



318 JOHN BOIT

We named the port we had entred Pintards, after one of the owners, and I've no doubt we are the first discoverers. 146 It is certainly the most dangerous navigation we have experienced being full of Ledges, small Isles, no soundings and excessive strong tides. But I think it affords the most Sea Otter skins. We procured upwards of 300 hundred, during our stay, and saild up this straits more than 100 miles, and cou'd see no end. 147 At our last anchorage, or rather the highest up the shore seem'd to trend about ESE.

15. N. Latt. 51 17'; Amp'd 21 14' E. Head wind beat- ing to and fro, making slow progress. The entrance of Pin- tards straits bore East, 3 or 4 leagues, 70 fm. water.

17. N. Latt. 50 6' ; W. Long. 128 12' O <f. Fresh breezes. This day spoke the Sloop Adventure, Capt. Haswell, sent our boat and Capt. Haswell came on board the Ship. Bore off the Cove. 'T is remarkable that we both meet within 12 league of our Rendezvous bound in. The chief of the Sloop's Cruize had been about the Charlotte Isles, and had collected about 500 Skins, all prime. 148 On the 24th of April Capt. Haswell fell in with the Ship Margaret of Boston, 149 James Magee Master. They was on the same business as ourselves. At 5 P. M. past Woody point, and at 7 anchored in company with the Sloop, in Columbia's Cove. 150 A few Natives ventured

146 Queen Charlotte Sound was discovered in 1786 by the Experiment, then in command of Wedgborough (Vancouver's Voyage, vol. 2, p. 308, 8vp. ed. 1801); though there may be doubt as to the exact person then actually in command. James Hanna in the snow Sea Otter was also in this sound in the summer of 1786. Duncan, in August, 1788, spent some time at its western entrance. Funter, in the North West America, was there in 1789; see his map of Raft Cove in Meares Voyages, 4to., p. 326, which appears to be the present Goletas Channel and Shushartie Bay.

147 This is an exaggeration; the Sound is only fifty miles long. Boit s state- ment that the shore at the end of their examination trended ESE would indicate that they were following the Vancouver Island shore, and at this point were looking down Johnstone Strait.

148 Under date i8th June, Haswell records that he "delivered to Capt. Gray 238 sea otter skins 142 Tails 23 Cootsacks and 19 pieces." The tails were fre- quently sold separate from the rest of the skin. The fur thereon was the richest. The cootsacks, or cutsarks, were Indian sea otter cloaks, usually composed of three

149 The Adventure, under Haswell, met this ship at Barrell Sound (Houston tewart Channel) on 7th May. Haswell says she was as fine a vessel as ever I saw

Boston by the first opportunity. .

150 This entry shows that Columbia's Cove was very close to Woody Point (Cane Cook) In rounding that point, owing to the rocks which extend from it, die ship would probably give it a berth of at least two miles; and within two hours she is at anchor.