The natives called their island Atooi, and Captain Cook gave the name of the Sandwich Islands to the whole group. The friendly disposition of the natives was shown on all occasions, especially when three boats went on shore, and, bad weather coming on, were detained for several days. Five islands were seen on this occasion, and were distinguished by the names of Woahoo, Atooi, Oneeheow, Oreehoua, and Tahoora. The islands were mostly high, well watered, and apparently thickly populated.
It was found that the taboo existed with even greater vigour than at Tongataboo, for the people constantly asked, with signs of fear, whether anything they desired to see, and the English were unwilling to show, was taboo, or, as they pronounced the word, tafoo.
On February 2, 1778, the ships left the Sandwich Islands, and stood towards the coast of America.
On March 7, early in the morning, the long-looked-for coast of New Albion, so-called by Sir Francis Drake, hove in sight. The ships stood along the coast, now off and now on again, with uncertain weather, till at length, on March 29, an inlet appeared in latitude 49 degrees 15 minutes North, and longitude 126 degrees 35 minutes East. The ships sailed up this inlet for several miles, when they cast anchor. Natives came off in three canoes, shaped like Norway yawls. Having drawn near, a person stood up in one of them and invited the strangers, in a speech and by gesture, to land, at the same time strewing handfuls of red feathers towards them, while his companions threw red dust in the same way. The next day a large number of people came off, who all behaved in the most peaceable manner, and offered for sale a number of skins of bears, foxes, wolves, deer, racoon, polecats, martens, and sea otters. The difficulty was to find articles to exchange for these really valuable commodities, for the natives would receive nothing but metal, and, at last, insisted on having brass. To supply them, whole suits of clothes were stripped of their buttons, bureaus of their handles, and copper kettles, tin canisters, and candlesticks went to wreck. The ships required a great deal of repairs, and even some fresh masts, and for this purpose they were hauled close into the shore and securely moored. The natives called this inlet Nootka Sound, but Captain Cook gave it the name of King George’s Sound.
Two persons were on board the ships at this time whose names afterwards became well-known—Mr Vancouver, then a midshipman of the Resolution, who afterwards, as Captain Vancouver, made many important discoveries on the coast then visited, and gave his name to a valuable island, now a colony of Great Britain; and Corporal Ledyard, whose travels in Siberia were of a very extraordinary character.
The clothing of the people of Nootka Sound consisted of a dress of flax, fringed with fur, and reaching to the feet; and over it a cloak of the same substance, with a hole cut in it, through which the head was thrust, and which hung down over the shoulders and arms as low as the waist. The head was covered with a hat like a truncated cone of matting, with a knob or tassel at the top, and strung under the chin. A large cloak of bear or wolf skin was occasionally worn over all. They also, at times, wore wooden masks. Their habitations were made of planks loosely put together, about seven or eight feet in height in front, and higher at the back. Several families resided in each, with a very slight division between them. Each had its own bench, and in the centre was the fire, without hearth or chimney. At the ends were seen trunks of trees, carved into hideous images, and rudely painted, supposed to be their gods, though but little veneration was paid them. Two silver spoons, of old Spanish manufacture, were obtained here from a native, who wore them as ornaments round his neck.
The progress of the ships along this coast can be but briefly described. Although the mercury in the barometer fell very rapidly, Captain Cook was so anxious to put to sea that he kept to his purpose of sailing on April 26. A perfect hurricane came on ere long, in which the Resolution sprang a serious leak. When the weather moderated one pump kept it under. The ships proceeded along the coast, and several islands and headlands were seen and named.
The voyagers landed at several places, and had some intercourse with the natives. One inlet, where the ships brought up, was named Prince William’s Sound. Here the natives made a daring attempt to plunder the Discovery, a mob of them getting on board, evidently under the impression that she was feebly guarded. But before they had time to carry out their nefarious design, the crew came on deck with their cutlasses, and the plunderers went off in their canoes.
Captain Cook, believing that it was too late in the year to do anything of importance in the way of fresh discoveries, resolved to return to the south, and wait at the Sandwich Islands till the next season.
From Prince William’s Sound the ships proceeded along the coast, steering south-west, and passing many more capes, till the mouth of a large river was found, up which they sailed. A volcano was here seen, emitting smoke, but no fire.