COLUMBIA RIVER 



of Oahu, he was sent to Hawaii. After landing in Kalea- 

 keakua Bay, he was instructed to follow the line of coast 

 as far as Apua and thence to trace the eruption to the 

 volcano, making examinations and sketches on his route. 

 The Vincennes and the Porpoise left the Hawaiian Islands 

 April 5, 1841, and in twenty-three days came upon Cape 

 Disappointment, at the mouth of the Columbia River, 

 and here by a hair's-breadth they escaped disaster. 

 Wilkes did not attempt to enter the Columbia, but pro- 

 ceeded to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and anchored in 

 the Port Discovery of Vancouver. Admiralty Inlet and 

 Puget Sound, as well as the Straits, were visited. " I 

 venture nothing," he writes, " in saying that there is no 

 country in the world that possesses waters equal to these. 

 Not a shoal can interrupt the navigation of a seventy-four 

 gunship." 



It is necessary to return to the course of the Peacock 

 (which left Oahu, December 2, 1840), for Dana was still 

 on board this vessel. After visiting the Phoenix group, 

 the Duke of York's Island, and the Duke of Clarence's 

 Island, the Peacock came upon an undiscovered coral 

 island, triangular in shape, eight miles in length and four 

 in breadth, to which the name of Bowditch, the distin- 

 guished American astronomer and student of navigation, 

 and the translator of Laplace, was given at Captain 

 Hudson's request. The party afterwards revisited Apia 

 and had an interesting experience among the Samoans. 

 On the 6th of March, they sailed from the roadstead of 

 Mataatu for the Ellice and Kingsmill groups. In these 

 uncivilized countries they gathered much information 

 and made important surveys. Next, by way of Hono- 

 lulu, they proceeded to the mouth of the Columbia River. 

 ' Upon this cruise," says Wilkes, " the Peacock sailed 

 19,000 miles, was 260 days at sea, and only 22 in port." 

 Although they were exposed to great vicissitudes of 

 climate, and had but a short allowance, they returned to 



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