126 The Wilson Bulletin — No. Gl. 



The steamer tied up to tbe float about half-way between 

 W'iddah Island and the shore at half-past two Tuesday morn- 

 ing, nearly twenty-seven -hours out from Seattle. Its imme- 

 diate return made disembarkation necessary, but since day- 

 light begins in this high latitude at this time of year about 

 three o'clock the wait in the chill night air w'as short. 



Our two Indian guides had reached the town of Neah Bay 

 only the night before, after a tramp over the mountains con- 

 suming two days, and we saw nothing of them until the day 

 was well advanced. A prolonged parley over the time, extent, 

 and cost of the trip was followed by a further delay in secur- 

 ing the necessary equipment for the canoe, so that it was mid- 

 afternoon before the last of the baggage was stowed away in 

 the eighteen-foot cedar canoe and the four passengers had 

 bored their way down to cramped seats upon the bottom. In 

 the rough waters at the entrance of the Strait the impor- 

 tance of the high sides of the canoe became apparent and the 

 skill of the Indians in avoiding breaking wave crests im- 

 pressed us with calm confidence in the outcome of the trip as 

 far as this sort of navigation had any bearing upon it. 



Tatoosh Island guards the American side of the mouth of 

 the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and is one of the vastly numerous 

 rocks which lie out in the Pacific marking the line of an 

 ancient coast. Its precipitous sides preclude landing except 

 on the narrow pebbly beach which lies between an outlying 

 rock which is connected to it at low tide, and the main island. 

 This beach faces the Strait and is fairly well protected by 

 other outlying rocks. Here we landed about five in the after- 

 noon for the first camjp. The light-house and wireless station 

 are responsible for the white inhabitants of this extensive 

 rock, and three or four ancient Indian houses furnish a per- 

 manent residence for about a dozen Indians, and a temporary 

 residence for many more during the fishing season. In the 

 accompanying half-tone the Indian houses are dimly shown 

 to the left of the government store house. 



Naturally the bird population of this twenty-acre rock is 

 not very extensive. The light keepers told us wonderful 



