living of the inhabitants. These shall be described in another place,
in the best manner I can, calling in to my assistance the observations
of Mr Anderson. When we had completed all our operations at this
village, the natives and we parted very good friends, and we got back
to the ships in the afternoon.

The three following days were employed in getting ready to put to
sea; the sails were bent, the observatories and instruments, brewing
vessels, and other things, were moved from the shore; some small
spars, for different uses, and pieces of timber, which might be
occasionally sawn into boards, were prepared and put on board; and
both ships were cleared, and put into a sailing condition.

Every thing being now ready, in the morning of the 26th, I intended to
have put to sea; but both wind and tide being against us, was obliged
to wait till noon, when the S.W. wind was succeeded by a calm, and
the tide turning in our favour, we cast off the moorings, and with
our boats towed the ships out of the cove. After this, we had variable
light airs and calms, till four in the afternoon, when a breeze
sprung up northerly, with very thick, hazy weather. The mercury in the
barometer fell unusually low, and we had every other fore-runner of
an approaching storm, which we had reason to expect would be from
the southward. This made me hesitate a little, as night was at hand,
whether I should venture to sail, or wait till the next morning. But
my anxious impatience to proceed upon the voyage, and the fear of
losing this opportunity of getting out of the Sound, making a greater
impression on my mind, than any apprehension of immediate danger, I
determined to put to sea at all events.

Our friends, the natives, attended us, till we were almost out of the
Sound; some on board the ships, and others in their canoes. One of
their chiefs, who had, some time before, attached himself to me, was
amongst the last who left us. Having, before he went, bestowed upon
him a small present, I received in return a beaver-skin, of much
greater value. This called upon me to make some addition to my
present, which pleased him so much, that he insisted upon my
acceptance of the beaver-skin cloak which he then wore; and of which
I knew he was particularly fond. Struck with this instance of
generosity, and desirous that he should be no sufferer by his
friendship to me, I presented to him a new broad sword, with a brass
hilt, the possession of which made him