In our excursion to the east, we met with the largest seal I had ever seen.  It was swimming on the surface of the water, and suffered us to come near enough to fire at it; but without effect; for, after a chase of near an hour, we were obliged to leave it.  By the size of this animal, it probably was a sea-lioness.  It certainly bore much resemblance to the drawing in Lord Anson’s voyage; our seeing a sea-lion when we entered this sound, in my former voyage, increaseth the probability; and I am of opinion, they have their abode on some of the rocks, which lie in the strait, or off Admiralty Bay.

On the 3d, I sent a boat with the carpenter over to the east side of the sound, to cut down some spars which we were in want of.  As she was returning, she was chased by a large double canoe full of people; but with what intent is not known.  Early the next morning, some of our friends brought us a large supply of fish.  One of them agreed to go away with us; but afterwards, that is, when it came to the point, he changed his mind; as did some others who had promised to go with the Adventure.

It was even said that some of them offered their children to sale.  I however found that this was a mistake.  The report first took its rise on board the Adventure, where they were utter strangers to their language and customs.  It was very common for these people to bring their children with them, and present them to us, in expectation that we would make them presents; this happened to me the preceding morning.  A man brought his son, a boy about nine or ten years of age, and presented him to me.  As the report of selling their children was then current, I thought, at first, that he wanted me to buy the boy.  But at last I found that he wanted me to give him a white shirt, which I accordingly did.  The boy was so fond of his new dress, that he went all over the ship, presenting himself before every one that came in his way.  This freedom used by him offended Old Will, the ram goat, who gave him a butt with his horns, and knocked him backward on the deck.  Will would have repeated his blow, had not some of the people come to the boy’s assistance.  The misfortune, however, seemed to him irreparable.  The shirt was dirtied, and he was afraid to appear in the cabin before his father, until brought in by Mr Forster; when he told a very lamentable story against goury the great dog (for so they call all the quadrupeds we had aboard), nor could he be reconciled, till his shirt was washed and dried.  This story, though extremely trifling in itself, will shew how liable we are to mistake these people’s meaning, and to ascribe to them customs they never knew even in thought.

About nine o’clock, a large double canoe, in which were twenty or thirty people, appeared in sight.  Our friends on board seemed much alarmed, telling us that these were their enemies.  Two of them, the one with a spear, and the other with a stone-hatchet in his hand, mounted the arm-chests on the poop, and there, in a kind of bravado, bid those enemies defiance; while the others, who were on board, took to their canoe and went ashore, probably to secure the women and children.