DEPARTURE IN THE ' OTTER.' 153 



carry up the necessary supplies to the chief 

 trader in charge of the fort, and bring back to 

 Victoria the furs traded during the year. Being 

 a good opportunity to visit so remote a part of 

 Vancouver Island (not accessible, at that time, 

 in any other way), leave was obtained from His 

 Excellency the Governor, and a passage provided 

 for me. 



On a bright but cold morning in October 

 the ' Otter ' twisted, puffed, and worked her way 

 through the somewhat intricate passage leading 

 out of Victoria Harbour. Leaving the harbour, 

 the scenery opens out like a magnificent pano- 

 rama, indescribably wild and beautiful. In front, 

 the sharp jagged mountains of the coast range, 

 wooded to the sea-line, tower in the far distance 

 to the regions of eternal snow ; to the left, the 

 rounder hills of the island slope easily to the 

 water's edge, in grassy glades and lawnlike open- 

 ings, belted with scrub-oaks ; higher up, the hill- 

 sides are overshadowed by the Douglas pines 

 and cedars; whilst just visible in our course, like 

 a green speck, is the famed island of St. Juan ; 

 and bending away to the right, as far as eye 

 could reach, dense forests look like one vast 

 unbroken sea of green. 



We had a delightful run along the coast and 

 amidst islands, and anchored in the evening near 



