Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/421

348 fied wiih this change in their api)carancc, though I had every reafon to behave their intentions were oi' the moil inoftenfive nature, and that it was molt probable they had thus produced tlicir arms to (hew their weahh, and imprefs us with an idea of their confcquence: I deemed it, however, mofl advifcable to withdra^v^ ; and having dillributed the few remaining articles we had refer ved, Chcjlakces was inf(.>rmed I was about to return ; on which he, with his relations who had attended us through the village, accompanied us to the fandy illand, whither I went to observe its latitude.

Some few others of the Indians attended us on this occafion, whofe behaviour being orderly and civil, they were permitted toaffemble round me whilft obferving. They were exceflTively amufed '. ith the effeft of the fun's rays through the reading glafs ; and the extraordinary quality of the quickfilver ufed for the purpofe of an artificial horizon, afforded them the greateft entertainment, until our bufinefs was ended, when they in a very friendly manner took leave, and confirmed me in the opi- nion, that the martial appearance they had aflumed, was purely the ef- feft of oflentation. In moft of the houfes were two or three muflcets, which, by their locks and mounting, appeared to be Spanifh. Chejlakees had no lefs than eight in his houfe, all kept in excellent order : thefe, together with a great variety of other European commodities, I prefumed, were procured immediately from Nootka, as, on pointing to many of them, they gave us to understand they had come from thence, and in their commercial concerns with us, frequently explained, that their flcins would fetch more at Nootka than we chofe to offer. Their total number we estimated at about five hundred. They were well verfed in the principles of trade, and carried it on in a very fair and honorable manner. Sea-otter skins were the chief objefts of our people's traffic, who purchafed nearly two hundred in the courfe of the day. Mr. Menzies informed mr, that theie had been procured at lead an hundred per cent, dearer than when he visited the coafl on a former occafion, which manifeftly proved, that either a furplus quantity of European commodities had been fine im- ported into this country, or more probably, that the avidity fhewn by the