LOG OF THE COLUMBIA 283
in search of anchorage. Found the land hereabouts low and barren near the shore, but rises back into high mountains. Find excessive strong currents in these Straits. The Natives on the Main speak a language different 47 from those on the Islands. Boat returned without success.
30. N. Latt. 52' 47'; W. Long. 131 O <T. Fresh gales and stormy weather. At Meridian Charlotte Isles extended from SBW to WBN 8 or 10 leagues. Some Canoes full of Indians boarded us from the Isles. They inform'd us that severall English vessels 48 had visited not long since. We purchased a good lot of furs, chiefly for Iron and Cloth.
31. Stood towards the Islands, and anchored in 24 fm. with a Kedge. Light wind from NW. A Chief (by name Cumswah) 49 brought us several fine Sea Otter skins.
August I. Wind from SE. Standing along the Queen Charlotte Isles, through De Font straits, about 3 or 4 leagues from land, soundings generally from 15 to 25 fm. mud. The main land in sight to the North and West'd at a great dis- tance. 50
2. Fresh gales and very thick weather. Narrowly escaped running on a reef of rocks. Quite foggy and see the land but seldom, beating to and fro. Wind from the Eastward.
3. N. Latt. 54 43'; W. Long. 132 23'. Heavy gales from SE. and thick weather, found the Ship embay 'd, 51 employ'd making short hanks. At length we being too nigh the shore for to keep off, through the night, we was alarm'd with all the horrors of a lee shore. A small opening appearing in the land to leeward, hove out the pinnace and sent an officer to examine for anchorage. At 6 in the evening she made a signal for a
47 The observations of the American officers in regard to language are always correct. The natives of Queen Charlotte Islands are of the Haida race; while on the mainland opposite they are Tsimshean.
48 So far as can be discovered there were but two English vessels in this vicinity in 1791. the Grace, Captain William Douglas, and the Gustovus. Captain Thomas Barnett.
49 The recognized form of the name is Cumshewa. He was one of the principal men of these islands. His head village was on the northern side of Cumshewa Inlet, on the east coast. The place of this anchorage cannot be iden- tified, but it was probably near Skedans on the south side of Cumshewa Inlet or near Cumshewa's village on the north side.
50 Hecate Strait in this locality is about forty miles wide; the land to th northward would be, perhips, seventy miles distant, being that lying between Prince of Wales Island and the mainland in Southern Alaska.
51 The Columbia, driven by gale and current, and in the fog, had entered Clarence Strait. See hereon more fully the "Supplementary Note on the Identi- fication of Port Tempest and Massacre Cove," found at the close of the Journal, pages 350-'-
