Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 12.djvu/38

30 F. W. How AY left, and the Indians refusing to take other articles, the Wash- ington bore away for Nootka, where she arrived on 22nd April, 1789. During the absence of the Washington, Captain Kendrick had moved the Columbia to Mawinna or Kendrick's Cove, now called Marvinas bay, seven miles up the sound from Friendly Cove; and on the following day the Washington reached that spot. Haswell says : "We were greatly sur- prised to find the ship not ready for sea. She was now near- "ly a hulk ; had not been graved or scarce any preparation made "for sea. They had indeed landed their guns, built a good "house, built a good battery, landed most of their provisions "and stores, and had their blacksmith's forge erected in the "house. When we arrived in the cove they were casting their "balls, preparatory to grave her bottom. The smiths were "immediately employed to furnish us with another cargo of "chisels and all our people in refitting our vessel for sea, re- pairing the sails, and recruiting our stock of wood and water." On the 3rd May, 1789, the Washington sailed once more from Nootka, but this time her prow was turned northward, and about a month was spent in the vicinity of Queen Char- lotte islands, or Washington island, as Gray called them. The sloop being severely damaged in a gale, it was determined to return to Nootka. As Haswell gives no dates on the return trip after the llth June, when the Washington was in a har- bor on the west coast of Queen Charlotte islands, the exact date of her return can not be fixed, but it was probably some time after the middle of June, 1789. This short voyage was most successful, a very lucrative trade being carried on, espe- cially on the west coast of Queen Charlotte islands on the return journey. Haswell tells us that at one place, Captain Gray obtained two hundred sea-otter skins in trade at the rate of one chisel per skin about one-fifth of the ordinary price. By a curious error this incident has been constantly misrepre- sented ; and it has been stated that the two hundred skins were obtained for one iron chisel. The fact, as stated in Haswell's log, is that the price was one chisel each.