290 JOHN BOIT
during which time collected many Sea Otter and other furs, and fish in abundance. These Natives miss'd Mr. Caswell, and it was thought proper to inform them that he had died a natural death.
September 8. Weighed and beat out of the harbour, wind at SW. At Noon Clioquot bore NW. 6 leagues standing toward Juan De Fuca straits.
IN THE STRAITS OF JUAN DE FUCA
11. N. Latt. 48 15'; W. Long. 124 30'. This day abreast Cape Flattery, on the SE. part of De Fuca entrance, vast many of the Natives along. Purchas'd many Otters. These Indians told us, there was five sail of Spaniards up the straits. 78 At Midnight saw Tatoosh Isle, bearing NNE. 3 miles. Thought ourselves further off shore. Almost calm, and an excessive strong tide sweeping us between some ledges and the Isle. At daylight thick fog, saw the Rocks a head, within pistol shot, with high breakers. Out all Boats, and just towed the Ship clear. Our situation was truly alarming, but we had no business so near the land in thick weather. However Good Luck prevail'd and a breeze springing up from offshore we stretch'd out clear in Boats. Foggy disagreeable weather. Cou'd observe at intervals that the woods were on fire. 79
12. Wind NE. Heard the roaring of Breakers, foggy, haul'd more off shore. At 3 P. M. saw a rock about a stone's throw distant, and narrowly escaped being dash'd upon it damn nonsense to keep beating about among rocks, in foggy weather. At midnight heard the surf roar again, which I suppose to be on the North side of the Straits, sounded and found ground at 25 fm. Rocks. The Captain, at length, was
78 At present these cannot be identified. Navarrete says in Viajes y Descu- brimientos Apocrifos, pp. 113-121, that Elisa, who was exploring the strait that year, returned in August; and in any event, according to this author, had only two ships, though Bancroft thinks it possible there may have been three. See Ban- croft s History of the Northwest Coast, vol. I, p. 244 et seq.
79 Haswell says: "The weather became so hazy we could see scarcely 4 miles. The weather was not damp, but appeared like an intensely thick smoke." Hoskins gives the following account: "At noon it was cloudy with exceeding sultry weather the wind blowing in puffs off the land and fetching so hot a stream that many of our people insisted on it that they were burnt. The higher you were aloft the greater was the degree of heat this is I conceived to be occasioned by some back woods the natives must have been setting fire to, though there was no smoke seen to warrant this opinion."
