DEPARTURE IN THE ‘ OTTER.’ 153 
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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 Iuill- 
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 
ainidst islands, and anchored in the evening near 
