Description
The Adventures of John Jewitt, only Survivor of the Crew of the Ship Boston during a Captivity of Nearly Three Years among the Indians of Nootka Sound in Vancouver Island. By John Jewitt. Edited with an introduction and notes by Robert Brown, Ph.D. Experience one of the most remarkable survival narratives of the age of sail in this extraordinary firsthand account of captivity, endurance, and cultural encounter on the remote Pacific Northwest coast.
In The Adventures of John Jewitt, only Survivor of the Crew of the Ship Boston during a Captivity of Nearly Three Years among the Indians of Nootka Sound in Vancouver Island, John Jewitt recounts his astonishing experiences after the American trading ship Boston was attacked in 1803 near Nootka Sound on the west coast of present-day Vancouver Island. Captured by the powerful Nuu-chah-nulth chief Maquinna, Jewitt became one of the few survivors of the massacre and spent nearly three years living among the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest before finally regaining his freedom.
This classic narrative offers readers a rare and vivid glimpse into a world little known to Europeans at the time. Jewitt describes daily life, customs, ceremonies, warfare, trade, and survival among the peoples of Nootka Sound with remarkable detail, creating an invaluable historical record of indigenous culture and maritime history during the early nineteenth century.
At the same time, the book is a gripping adventure story filled with danger, uncertainty, and resilience. Readers follow Jewitt through moments of fear, adaptation, friendship, and hope as he struggles to survive far from home in an unfamiliar and often perilous environment.
Written with immediacy and authenticity, The Adventures of John Jewitt remains one of the most important and compelling captivity narratives of the maritime frontier era.
This carefully restored reprint revives a fascinating classic of exploration and survival literature for modern readers. Ideal for lovers of maritime history, indigenous history, adventure narratives, and Pacific Northwest history, it continues to captivate with its extraordinary true story of endurance and cultural encounter.
About the author: John Jewitt (1783–1821) was an English armourer and sailor best known for his firsthand account of captivity among the Nuu-chah-nulth people at Nootka Sound after the destruction of the ship Boston in 1803. His memoir became one of the earliest and most important European descriptions of indigenous life on the Pacific Northwest coast during the age of maritime fur trading.
Robert Brown (1842–1895) was a Scottish scientist who traveled extensively on expeditions around the New World, and who published dozens of works on the botany, ornithology, geology, and geography of the areas he explored.
Contents
In Memory
Introduction
Chapter I: Birth, Parentage and Early Life of the Author
Chapter II: Voyage to Nootka Sound
Chapter III: Intercourse with the Natives—Maquina—Seizure of the Vessel and Murder of the Crew
Chapter IV: Reception of Jewitt by the Savages—Escape of Thompson—Arrival of Neighboring Tribes—an Indian Feast
Chapter V: Burning of the Vessel—Commencement of Jewitt’s Journal
Chapter VI: Description of Nootka Sound—Manner of Building Houses—Furniture—Dresses
Chapter VII: Appearance of the Natives—Ornaments—Otter-Hunting—Fishing—Canoes
Chapter VIII: Music—Musical Instruments—Slaves—Neighboring Tribes—Trade with These—Army
Chapter IX: Situation of the Author—Removal to Tashees—Fishing Parties
Chapter X: Conversation with Maquina—Fruits—Religious Ceremonies—Visit to Upquesta
Chapter XI: Return to Nootka (Friendly Cove)—Death of Maquina’s Nephew—Insanity of Tootoosch—An Indian Mountebank
Chapter XII: War with the A-Y-Charts—A Night Attack—Proposals to Purchase the Author
Chapter XIII: Marriage of the Author—His Illness—Dismisses His Wife—Religion of the Natives—Climate
Chapter XIV: Arrival of the Brig Lydia—Stratagem of the Author—Its Success
Appendix
- The Boston’s Crew
- War Song of the Nootka Tribe
III. A List of Words
Index
