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John Jewitt’s Escape (1805)
July 1. Fine and clear weather. Went to prayer hoping that some good captain would come and release us.
2. This day arrived a canoe from Cheek-ash-lizaits with the news that a tribe of Indians a great way to the northward of Nootka had attempted to cut off a ship; but the crew being apprehensive of their design prevented it with the loss of ten men. The natives told us that the captain and officers were killed, and that the ship fired upon the village and knocked down their houses. We are very much disheartened, no canoe from Clar-zarts with a letter.
3. This day a canoe set out to the northward with a letter which I hope will fall into some Christian hands.
4. Thompson employed making a sail for a canoe; myself making fish hooks.
5. Arrived a canoe from Esquates with fish oil for our chief.
6. This day arrived canoes from Clar-zarts with nine skins, three large baskets of an excellent fruit, called by the natives Quarnosse, and two hundred gallons of fish oil.
7. Our chief has now about fifty prime skins. The season is very late to what it was last year, there being but little fruit ripe at this time.
8. Went to prayers for our release.
9. Employed washing our cloathing; invited to eat dried clams and fish oil.
10. This day arrived a canoe from the New-chat-laits with beads for our chief.
11. This day returned the natives by whom I sent a letter a week ago. They returned the letter and told me they were afraid to give it to a ship.
12. This day I went a fishing with our chief in a canoe, caught four salmon and returned.
13. Employed fishing with our chief; caught five salmon.
14. We are pleased at seeing the chiefs brought so low as to be obligated themselves to go a fishing.
15. Employed as usual; arrived a canoe from Al-tiz-arts with four skins for our chief.
16. This day I was employed making harpoons for our chief as he expects that there will soon be a ship to release us; he wants a quantity of harpoons made beforehand.
17. Employed making chissels for our chief to make canoes with.
18. Fine and clear weather; natives fishing.
19. This day I was engaged in making chissels as usual. At nine o'clock A. M. the natives were alarmed at seeing a brig [a ship] in the offing. Our chief came and told me to leave my work and go with him to look at the brig. I accordingly went and saw her bearing up for Nootka; my heart leapt for joy at the thought of getting my liberty. The chief sent off a canoe on board of which I put a letter with information that there was no danger in coming into the cove. The canoe brought me an answer by which I learnt that it was the brig Lydia of Boston, Samuel Hill, commander, and that he was coming in. He arrived at twelve o'clock and came to anchor, but not running far enough into the cove drifted out again, and went down the sound to look for anchorage. All the natives endeavoured to persuade or chief not to go on board, for they said that the captain would confine him until Thompson and myself were released. I appeared to be very contented [with the natives' advice to Maquinna], being afraid that the natives would be suspicious of my anxiousness to go on board. The brig gave us a salute of three guns, which we returned from the shore. Our chief then came and asked me if he had best go on board, and told me that the whole village had been endeavouring to persuade him not to go, saying that the captain would confine him. I told him to go on board, that the captain would treat him well, and he accordingly went, taking with him three prime skins as a present, and a recommendation, which he wished me to give him.-When he got on board the captain took him into the cabin, treated him with spiritous liquor and told him that he should not go on shore until the two white men came on board.-Two of the people stood over him with a brace of pistols and a cutlass; the brig was standing off shore. The captain then sent the canoe with the news that the chief was confined, and that he wished us to come up immediately.-The natives were in very great confusion, crying and running up and down the village, saying that their chief was a slave to the whites, and that I had told the captain in my letter to confine the chief. But I knew while the chief was kept on board, I should be safe for they durst [dare] not hurt me on that account. They sent me off in a canoe, telling me that the chief must come ashore as soon as I got on board. And I promised them he should. When I got near the brig the natives in the canoe were in doubt about letting me go on board and called out for their chief. But the captain looked over the quarter[deck] and told them to come alongside or he would fire at them, for he was determined that I should not go back again. They then put us on board, and the captain was glad to see me, and I of course was very happy at being released. He took me into the cabin and showed me to our old chief, who appeared to be much pleased at seeing me. After I had acquainted the captain with every particular respecting the capture of the ship Boston, I gave him an account of every thing that was ashore in the possession of the chief, such as skins and what was saved from the ship's cargo. The captain made him send for them, and told him he should not go on shore until every thing was brought on board. After the goods were brought off, the chief was released, and the brig immediately took her departure from Nootka.
The Names of the crew of the ship Boston are as follows:
MR. JOHN SALTER, of Boston, America, Captain.
MR. B. DELOTISA, of Boston, Chief Mate.
MR. WILLIAM INGRAHAM, of New York, Second Mate.
EDWARD THOMPSON, of Blyth in the North of England, Boatswain.
ADAM SIDDLE, of Hull, Yorkshire, Carpenter.
PHILIP BROWN, of Cambridge, near Boston, Joiner.
JOHN DERTHY, of Seituate, near Boston, Blacksmith.
ABRAHAM WATERS, of Philadelphia, Steward.
FRANCIS DUFFIELD, of Penton, England, Tailor.
JOHN WILSON, (Black) of Virginia, Cook.
WILLIAM CALDWELL, of Boston.
JOSEPH MINOR, of Newburyport.
JUPITER SENEGAL, (Black).
FRANCIS MARTIN, a Portuguese.
WILLIAM ROBINSON, of Leigh, Scotland.
ANDREW KELLY, of Air, Scotland.
THOMAS WILLSON, of Air, Scotland.
ROBERT BURTON, of Isle of Man, England.
JAMES MCCLAY, of Dublin, Ireland.
THOMAS PLATTIN, of Blakeny, Norfolk, England.
THOMAS NEWTON, of Hull, Yorkshire, England.
CHARLES BATES, St. James Deeping, Lincolnshire, England.
PETER ALSTON, Norway.
SAMUEL WOOD, Glasgow, Scotland.
JOHN HALL, Newcastle, England, Seamen,
all of whom were massacred by the natives.
JOHN THOMPSON, of Philadelphia, Sailmaker and Gunner, and myself are the only persons of the crew who escaped this horrid butchery.
2. This day arrived a canoe from Cheek-ash-lizaits with the news that a tribe of Indians a great way to the northward of Nootka had attempted to cut off a ship; but the crew being apprehensive of their design prevented it with the loss of ten men. The natives told us that the captain and officers were killed, and that the ship fired upon the village and knocked down their houses. We are very much disheartened, no canoe from Clar-zarts with a letter.
3. This day a canoe set out to the northward with a letter which I hope will fall into some Christian hands.
4. Thompson employed making a sail for a canoe; myself making fish hooks.
5. Arrived a canoe from Esquates with fish oil for our chief.
6. This day arrived canoes from Clar-zarts with nine skins, three large baskets of an excellent fruit, called by the natives Quarnosse, and two hundred gallons of fish oil.
7. Our chief has now about fifty prime skins. The season is very late to what it was last year, there being but little fruit ripe at this time.
8. Went to prayers for our release.
9. Employed washing our cloathing; invited to eat dried clams and fish oil.
10. This day arrived a canoe from the New-chat-laits with beads for our chief.
11. This day returned the natives by whom I sent a letter a week ago. They returned the letter and told me they were afraid to give it to a ship.
12. This day I went a fishing with our chief in a canoe, caught four salmon and returned.
13. Employed fishing with our chief; caught five salmon.
14. We are pleased at seeing the chiefs brought so low as to be obligated themselves to go a fishing.
15. Employed as usual; arrived a canoe from Al-tiz-arts with four skins for our chief.
16. This day I was employed making harpoons for our chief as he expects that there will soon be a ship to release us; he wants a quantity of harpoons made beforehand.
17. Employed making chissels for our chief to make canoes with.
18. Fine and clear weather; natives fishing.
19. This day I was engaged in making chissels as usual. At nine o'clock A. M. the natives were alarmed at seeing a brig [a ship] in the offing. Our chief came and told me to leave my work and go with him to look at the brig. I accordingly went and saw her bearing up for Nootka; my heart leapt for joy at the thought of getting my liberty. The chief sent off a canoe on board of which I put a letter with information that there was no danger in coming into the cove. The canoe brought me an answer by which I learnt that it was the brig Lydia of Boston, Samuel Hill, commander, and that he was coming in. He arrived at twelve o'clock and came to anchor, but not running far enough into the cove drifted out again, and went down the sound to look for anchorage. All the natives endeavoured to persuade or chief not to go on board, for they said that the captain would confine him until Thompson and myself were released. I appeared to be very contented [with the natives' advice to Maquinna], being afraid that the natives would be suspicious of my anxiousness to go on board. The brig gave us a salute of three guns, which we returned from the shore. Our chief then came and asked me if he had best go on board, and told me that the whole village had been endeavouring to persuade him not to go, saying that the captain would confine him. I told him to go on board, that the captain would treat him well, and he accordingly went, taking with him three prime skins as a present, and a recommendation, which he wished me to give him.-When he got on board the captain took him into the cabin, treated him with spiritous liquor and told him that he should not go on shore until the two white men came on board.-Two of the people stood over him with a brace of pistols and a cutlass; the brig was standing off shore. The captain then sent the canoe with the news that the chief was confined, and that he wished us to come up immediately.-The natives were in very great confusion, crying and running up and down the village, saying that their chief was a slave to the whites, and that I had told the captain in my letter to confine the chief. But I knew while the chief was kept on board, I should be safe for they durst [dare] not hurt me on that account. They sent me off in a canoe, telling me that the chief must come ashore as soon as I got on board. And I promised them he should. When I got near the brig the natives in the canoe were in doubt about letting me go on board and called out for their chief. But the captain looked over the quarter[deck] and told them to come alongside or he would fire at them, for he was determined that I should not go back again. They then put us on board, and the captain was glad to see me, and I of course was very happy at being released. He took me into the cabin and showed me to our old chief, who appeared to be much pleased at seeing me. After I had acquainted the captain with every particular respecting the capture of the ship Boston, I gave him an account of every thing that was ashore in the possession of the chief, such as skins and what was saved from the ship's cargo. The captain made him send for them, and told him he should not go on shore until every thing was brought on board. After the goods were brought off, the chief was released, and the brig immediately took her departure from Nootka.
The Names of the crew of the ship Boston are as follows:
MR. JOHN SALTER, of Boston, America, Captain.
MR. B. DELOTISA, of Boston, Chief Mate.
MR. WILLIAM INGRAHAM, of New York, Second Mate.
EDWARD THOMPSON, of Blyth in the North of England, Boatswain.
ADAM SIDDLE, of Hull, Yorkshire, Carpenter.
PHILIP BROWN, of Cambridge, near Boston, Joiner.
JOHN DERTHY, of Seituate, near Boston, Blacksmith.
ABRAHAM WATERS, of Philadelphia, Steward.
FRANCIS DUFFIELD, of Penton, England, Tailor.
JOHN WILSON, (Black) of Virginia, Cook.
WILLIAM CALDWELL, of Boston.
JOSEPH MINOR, of Newburyport.
JUPITER SENEGAL, (Black).
FRANCIS MARTIN, a Portuguese.
WILLIAM ROBINSON, of Leigh, Scotland.
ANDREW KELLY, of Air, Scotland.
THOMAS WILLSON, of Air, Scotland.
ROBERT BURTON, of Isle of Man, England.
JAMES MCCLAY, of Dublin, Ireland.
THOMAS PLATTIN, of Blakeny, Norfolk, England.
THOMAS NEWTON, of Hull, Yorkshire, England.
CHARLES BATES, St. James Deeping, Lincolnshire, England.
PETER ALSTON, Norway.
SAMUEL WOOD, Glasgow, Scotland.
JOHN HALL, Newcastle, England, Seamen,
all of whom were massacred by the natives.
JOHN THOMPSON, of Philadelphia, Sailmaker and Gunner, and myself are the only persons of the crew who escaped this horrid butchery.
Submitted on September 2, 2003 in By David.
