216 Thirty Years 



pears to be the most convenient, and perhaps the best, 

 place for ships to anchor that we have seen along the 

 coast ; at this season especially, when they might in- 

 crease their stock of provision, if provided with good 

 marksmen. Deer are numerous in its vicinity, musk- 

 oxen also may be found up Hood's River, and the fine 

 sandy bottom of the bays promise favorably for fishing 

 with the seine. The hills on the western side are 

 even in their outline and slope gradually to the water's 

 edge. The rocks give place to an alluvial sandy soil, 

 towards the bottom of the sound ; but on Banks' 

 Peninsula rocky eminences again prevail, which are 

 rugged and uneven, but they are intersected by val- 

 leys, now green ; along their base is a fine sandy beach. 

 From Point Wollaston to our present encampment the 

 coast is skirted with trap cliffs, which have often a 

 columnar form, and are very -difficult of access. These 

 cliffs Lie in ranges parallel to the shore, and the deer 

 that we killed were feeding ip small marshy grassy 

 plats that lie in the valleys between them. 



I',. in-; detained by tin 1 continuance of tin 1 gale, on 

 the 2d of August some men were sent out to hunt, 

 .-Mid the officers visited (he tops of the highest hills, 

 to ascertain the best channels to he pursued. The 

 wind abating at hii P.M., we embarked and paddled 

 round the southern end of the island, and continued 

 our course to the south-east. Much doubt at this 



