102 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



b safety (which is considered dangerous and on which, I learn, many 

 vessels have been injured and some wrecked). At four we came to 

 anchor in Baker's Bay, on the north side of the river. K 



Several shots of the cannon were immediately fired to announce our 

 arrival to the establishment 7 miles up the river, but were not answered. 

 Thus my long and tedious voyage of 8 months 14 days from England 

 terminated. The joy of viewing land, the hope of in a few days ranging 

 through the long wished-for spot and the pleasure of again resuming 

 my wonted employment may be readily calculated. We spent the 

 evening with great mirth and at an early hour went to sleep, to sleep 

 without noise and motion, the disagreeable attendants of a sea voyage. 

 With truth I may count this one of the happy moments of my life. As 

 might naturally be supposed to enjoy the sight of land, free from the 

 excessive motion and noise of the ship from all deprived nearly nine 

 months was to me truly a luxury. The ground on the south side of the 

 river is low, covered thickly with wood, chiefly Pinus canadensis, 1 

 P. balsamea, 2 and a species which may prove to be P. taxifolia. 3 \ The 

 north (Cape Disappointment) is a remarkable promontory, elevation 

 about 700 feet above the sea, covered with wood of the same kinds as on 

 the other side. 



April 8th. Constant heavy rain, cold, thermometer 47. J Saturday the 

 9th in company with Mr. Scouler I went on shore on Cape Disappointment 

 as the ship could not proceed up the river in consequence of heavy rains 

 and thick fogs. On stepping on the shore Gaultheria Shallon was the 

 first plant I took in my hands. So pleased was I that I could scarcely 

 see anything but it. Mr. Menzies correctly observes that it grows under 

 thick pine-forests in great luxuriance and would make a valuable addition 

 to our gardens. It grows most luxuriantly on the margins of woods, 

 particularly near the ocean. Pursh's figure of it is very correct. Rubus 

 spectabilis was also abundant ; both these delightful plants in blossom. 

 In the woods were several species of Vaccinium, but not yet in blossom, 

 a species of Tiarella and Heuchera in flower. In a few hours we returned 

 to the ship amply gratified. On the morning of Sunday the 10th went 

 again on shore and made a short stay; saw nothing different from that 

 seen yesterday, except some Gramineae and Musci. On our return to 

 the ship we found a canoe with one Canadian and several Indians with 

 intelligence from the establishment who brought some potatos, milk, and 

 fresh butter. The potatos were so much relished that we had some 

 in the evening for tea. The natives viewed us with curiosity and put 

 to us many questions. Some of them have a few words of English and 

 by the assistance of signing make themselves very well understood. 

 The practice of compressing the forehead, of perforating the septum of 

 the nose and ears with shells, bits of copper, beads, or in fact any hardware, 

 gives a stranger a curious idea of their singular habits. They brought 

 dry salmon, fresh sturgeon, game, and some prepared roots with dry 



1 Tsuga canadensis, Veitch, Man. Conif., ed. 2, p. 463. 



2 Abies balsamea, Veitch, loc. cit., p. 492. 



3 Pseudotsuga Douglaaii, Mast, in Journ. R. Hort. Soc. xiv. p. 245. 



