His

eat in company with his father, will be performed here. This ce remony will occupy a confiderable space of time, after which he will no longer be carried on men's fhoulders, but be at liberty like others to walk about; but when this was to take place in respect of Otoo, I could not discover; for as often as the question was put, fo often the period when the event was to take place varied. It was likewife very remarkable, that we never faw any person of confequence or refpectability about the young monarch. nearest relations, though they paid all poffible refpect to his high office, did not appear to regard or converfe with him; and those whofe duty it was to attend him on his journies between Oparre and our encampment, were fervants from the lowest order of the people. Amongst these was a man named Peterrah, who apparently was a very fifrewd, fenfible fellow, on whose shoulders the young king never rode, but who, on all occafions, acted as mesfenger, and bore no higher office than that of a butler, or upper fervant. I had originally taken this man for a priest and fort of preceptor; but, on repeated inquiries, they always pointed to my fteward, as bearing the fame office with that of Peterrah.' Vol. i. P. 146.

At the Sandwich Islands, the navigators met with Tianna (celebrated in the voyage of Mr. Meares), who represented himself as one of the fovereigns of Owhyhee. They were alfo accofted in broken English by Tarehooa, who had been feven months with Mr. Ingram in America, and who, preferring the name of Jack, accompanied them in their prefent voyage. At Woahoo, they were treated with a cold civility, bordering on diftruft and diflike. Their wants were supplied, and their prefents received, with little regard or attention. A mode of behaviour fo diftant from the warm friendly generofity of the Otaheiteans, is attributed by captain Vancouver to the difference of foil, to land lefs genial and fruitful in these more northern islands.

Their laft fupplies were furnished at Attowai, where the fame cold kindness prevailed; but the integrity of the inhabitants was in the end ftrikingly evinced. The country, like that of Woahoo, was barren, and feemingly volcanic. Taro was the chief object of culture; and a wall, fupplying in a great measure the purpose of an aqueduct, was built with great ingenuity and labour. An Englishman, a Welchman, and an Irishman, were found here. They were left by an American veffel, to collect fandal-wood and pearls; objects of confiderable value in India, After fome delay, our countrymen were vifited by the prince and the regent. The picture of the former is fo pleafing, that we shall copy it.

'I was much pleased with the appearance and behaviour of this young prince, who feemed to be about twelve years of age. In his countenance was exhibited much affability and cheerfulness; and, on closely obferving his features, they had infinitely more the resemblance of an European, than of those which generally characterize these iflanders; being deftitute of that natural ferocity fo confpicuous in the perfons about him. In thefe refpects, and in the quickness of his comprehenfion and ideas, he greatly surpassed his young friend and companion Tipoone. At first, he was not without confiderable agitation, marked as evidently by the fenfibility of his countenance, as by his actions; in conftantly clinging to me, and repeatedly faluting me according to their cuftom, by touching nofes. I foon diffipated his fears by a few trifling prefents, and encouraged him to vifit every part of the fhip. His inquiries and obfervations, on this occafion, were not, as might have been expected from his age, directed to trivial matters; which either elcaped his notice, or were by him deemed unworthy of it; but to fuch circumftances alone, as would have authorized questions from perfons of matured years and fome experience. He conducted himfelf with a great degree of good breeding, and applied to Rowbottom or Williams, who were with him, to know if he might be permitted, or it were proper, to make this, or that inquiry; and never moved forward, or fat down, without firft inquiring, if, by fo doing, he fhould incur any displeasure. It was now about our dinner-time. His young friend Tipoone did not fail to partake of our repaft, whilft the prince feemed infinitely more entertained with the feveral new objects that furrounded him, and, I believe, would have returned to the fhore perfectly satisfied with his vifit, had I offered him nothing more. Confidering, however, that fome acknowledgment was due for their care, and honesty in reftoring not only the articles, which through neceffity had been committed to their charge, but fuch as were recovered from the sea, when dinner was ended, I prefented Tamooere with nearly a duplicate affortment of the valuables I had, in the forenoon, given to Enemoh, with fome few other things that feemed particularly to attract his attention. Amongst thefe was a quantity of wine and rum, for which these islanders, like our fouthern friends, have acquired no inconfiderable relifh. 1 prefented likewife to his friend a collection of valuables; and gave to each of his attendants fome trivial article, with which they feemed agreeably furprized, as this compliment was expected by none of them." Vol. i. P. 181.

The integrity of thefe iflanders was very confpicuous in their dealings with captain Vancouver; but there is reason to fear that their fufpicions are kept alive by the misconduct of some of their vifitants. It is pleafing to reflect, that among these they diftinguish the English with particular marks of regard;

and the presence of the individuals left by the American veffel will contribute to encourage this good opinion.

The Discovery and the Chatham then stood away to the north, and fell in with the coaft of America in lat. 39° 27′, long. 236° 25'. In the paffage across the Pacific, vaft numbers of the medufa vililia, which covered the fea through the whole extent of feven degrees of longitude, were observed. We fhall add Mr. Johnfon's fhort defcription of them.

• These small blubbers are of an oval form, quite flat, and meafuring about an inch and an half the longest way; their under fide is fomewhat concave; the edges, for near a quarter of an inch in width, are of a deep blue colour, changing inwardly to a pale green; the fubftance being much thinner and more tranfparent there than on the upper fide. Perpendicularly to the plain of their furface ftands a very thin membrane, extending nearly the whole length of its longest diameter in a diagonal direction; it is about an inch in height, and forms a fegment of a circle. This membrane, which feemed to ferve all the purposes of a fin and a fail, was fome times observed to be erect; at others lying flat, which was generally the cafe in the morning; but as the day advanced, it became extended. Whether this was voluntary, or the effect of the fun's influence, was a question not eafily to be decided. When the membrane was down, thefe little animals were collected into compact clusters, were apparently deftitute of any motion, and their colour at that time seemed of a dark green.' Vol. i. p. 194.

The western coaft of America which captain Vancouver firft faw, was that of New Albion; and, from the latitude mentioned, he advanced to lat. 42° 38', where he gave the name of Cape Orford to a headland. We fhall transcribe his remarks on the natives of western America, as they appeared at the firft vifit.

A pleafing and courteous deportment distinguished these people. Their countenances indicated nothing ferocious; their fea tures partook rather of the general European character; their colour a light olive; and befides being punctuated in the fashion of the South-Sea iflanders, their skin had many other marks, appa➡ rently from injuries in their excurfions through the forefts, poffibly, with little or no clothing that could protect them; though some of us were of opinion these marks were purely ornamental, as is the fashion with the inhabitants of Van Dieman's land. Their flature was under the middle fize; none that we faw exceeding five feet fix inches in height. They were tolerably well limbed, though fiender in their perfons; bore little or no resemblance to the people of Nootka; nor did they seem to have the leaft knowledge of

that language. They feemed to prefer the comforts of cleanliness to the painting of their bodies; in their ears and noses they had fall ornaments of bone; their hair, which was long and black, was clean and neatly combed, and generally tied in a club behind; though fome amongst them had their hair in a club in front alfó. They were dreffed in garments that nearly covered them, made principally of the skins of deer, bear, fox, and river otter; one or two cub skins of the fea otter, were also observed amongst them. Their canoes, calculated to carry about eight people, were rudely wrought out of a fingle tree; their fhape much refembled that of a butcher's tray, and feemed very unfit for a fea voyage or any diftant expedition. They brought but a few trifling articles to barter, and they anxiously folicited in exchange iron and beads. In this traffic they were fcrupuloufly honeft, particularly in fixing their bargain with the first bidder; for, if a fecond offered a more valu→ able commodity for what they had to fell, they would not confent, but made figns (which could not be miftaken) that the first fhould pay the price offered by the fecond, on which the bargain would be clofed. They did not entertain the leaft idea of accepting prefents; for on my giving them fome beads, medals, iron, &c. they inftantly offered their garments in return, and feemed much astonished, and I believe not lefs pleased, that I chose to decline them. The first man, in particular, gave me fome trouble to persuade him that he was to retain both the trinkets and his garment.' Vol. i. P. 204,

The navigators ranged along the coaft, feeing at a distance various capes, &c. fimilar to thofe noticed by other voyagers, but in different latitudes, which captain Vancouver endeavoured to reconcile. They arrived in lat. 46° 14′, without finding any inlet which promifed a paffage, or feeing any natives. This part of the coaft is reprefented as extremely fertile and beautiful; but it was defended by a reef of rocks, which did not allow any paffage. The veffels paffed Deftruction Ifland; and at laft entered the fuppofed ftrait of John de Fuca, about, lat. 48° 20'.

No bait could have been offered more tempting to commercial enterprife, than the fuppofition, that a maritime communication exifted between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; and that, from Hudfon's Bay to Nootka Sound, the voyage might be completed within three weeks. We readily believe. all that we with; and whatever fancy had adduced as probabilities, hafty prefumption converted into arguments of mighty weight and import. De Fonte's Archipelago, and De Fuca's Strait, were again brought into notice, though, the existence of the former navigator was problematical, and the voyage of the other doubtful. The western coast of North-America, from 50° to 56° of northern latitude, was

imperfectly examined by captain Cook; and, in this fpace, the traits and the archipelago were fuppofed to exiff. Captain Dixon (whofe voyage we noticed in our fixty-feventh volume) more nearly approached the coaft, and faw that what his predeceffor fuppofed to have been headlands of the continent, confifted of a clufter of iflands, about the latitude of 53°. Mr. Meares (whofe voyage we confidered in the first volume of our new arrangement) was confident that the defired paffage exifted, fince the ftrait of De Fuca had been difcovered by an American vessel, which failed inland fome way, and might perhaps have gone farther,might have reached Hudion's Bay and the Atlantic. We pointed out the delusive nature of the arguments which to us feemed to have inifled him, and anticipated what the prefent voyage has afcertained. The ftrait exifts; Nootka Sound is one part of a cluster of islands, within which there is a navigable paffage; but, on the eaft of thefe, the continent is difcovered, with infurmountable impediments to the long-fought navigation. Though what De Fuca obferved, with refpect to the strait, is true, we muft doubt the reft of his account, or refign the truth of aftronomical obfervations, the inland travels of the traders from Hudfon's Bay, and every Indian tradition, from men who have no intereft in misleading. It is remarkable, that the fhip Washington, commanded by captain Gray, is faid to have entered this ftrait, to have paffed to the eastward of Nootka, and to have again failed into the Pacific, a little above the 55th degree of latitude. Gray, however, when captain-Vancouver met him in these feas, declared that. he had advanced only fifty miles within the ftrait, and returned the fame way. Yet this ftrait is found to be continued, and to terminate, according to the route which the American captain is faid to have purfued.

When captain Vancouver had paffed through the strait, he met with an island, of the picturesque beauties of which he fpeaks in high terms. To the fouth of this ifland, is a valuable port. The fouthern inlets he followed with the utmost care; and they were found to terminate either in rivulets or fandy fhallows. The foil was very fertile, though few of the more useful efculent plants were found in it. The birds were numerous, but fhy; the animals few; the fish neither in plenty nor of good kinds. There were few rivulets, but the water was good. On the whole, the profpect was delightful, but the refreshments were fcanty. The inhabitants in perfons and manners, refembled thofe of Nootka. Various tall poles were difcovered, on one of which was found a human skull; and probably each had at first a fimilar ornament; nor can we avoid fufpc&ting that thefe Americans are, or have been,