Departure from Oalui. 

 Search for unknown islands. 



OREGON. 



Bar of the Columbia River. 



27!) 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

 OREGON. 



DEPARTURE PROM OAHU SEARCH FOR UNKNOWN ISLANDS BAR OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER POINT GRENVILLE 



DESTRUCTION ISLE COAST OF OREGON STRAITS OF JUAN DE FUCA INDIANS VISIT THE SHIP PORT DISCOVERY 

 PORT TOWNSEND PORT LAURENCE PILOT'S COVE FORT NISO.UALLY ANCHORAGE OFF NIS&UALLY PLAN OF 

 OPERATIONS EXPEDITION TO THE COLUMBIA RIVER COWLITZ RIVER OAK POINT ASTORIA VANCOUVER- 

 WILLAMETTE VALLEY MODE OF CATCHING SALMON SALMON FISHERIES THE DALLES RETURN TO NISQUALLY 

 PROGRESS OF THE SURVEYING PARTIES. 



ON the 5th April, 1841, we had completed our re- 

 pairs, and made arrangements for the transporta- 

 tion of our stores to the Columbia River. The 

 Porpoise was ordered to leave the harbour in the 

 afternoon, and anchor near the Vincennes in the 

 outer roads. Towards sunset we took leave of our 

 kind and numerous friends, and the same night at 

 ll h 30 m , the signal was made for getting under 

 way. We soon afterwards made sail, and steered 

 to the westward, in order to pass between the 

 islands of Oahu and Kaui. 



In proceeding to the north, I was desirous to 

 pass over a portion of the sea that had not been 

 examined by preceding navigators, particularly as 

 it is confidently believed by many persons in the 

 Hawaiian Islands, that land existed in the neigh- 

 bourhood where we now were. I was, therefore, 

 anxious to make search for it in such places as 

 had not been explored by others, and I had pro- 

 cured a chart, showing the tracks of Portlock and 

 others. This search was made as closely as time 

 and opportunity permitted, but ineffectually. I am, 

 however, far from satisfied that land may not exist 

 in this quarter, for we in fact did little in the way 

 of exploration, in consequence of the foggy and 

 hazy weather which limited our view. 



The part of the Northern Pacific which lies be- 

 tween the latitudes of 33 and 43 N., and longi- 

 tudes of 140 and 150 W., is particularly subject to 

 fogs and thick weather, and there are few places 

 where indications of land are stronger : thus, 

 numerous birds were seen, of species found only in 

 the vicinity of land. I therefore feel satisfied that 

 although we failed from want of sufficient time for a 

 thorough search, land will be found at some future 

 day within the space just defined. 



On the 28th of April, at 6 A.M., we made Cape 

 Disappointment, which we soon came up with. A 

 heavy sea, caused by the strong winds that had 

 prevailed for several days, was running. I, notwith- 

 standing, stood for the bar of the Columbia river, 

 after making every preparation to cross it ; but on 

 approaching nearer, I found breakers extending 

 from Cape Disappointment to Point Adams, in one 

 unbroken line. 



I am at a loss to conceive how any doubt should 

 ever have existed, that here was the mouth of the 

 mighty river, whose existence was reported so long 

 before the actual place of its discharge was known, 

 or how the inquiring mind and talent of observa- 

 tion of Vancouver could have allowed him to hesi- 

 tate, when he must have seen the evidence of a 

 powerful flood of fresh water contending with the 

 tides of the ocean, in a bar turbulent with breakers, 



in turbid waters extending several miles beyond 

 the line of the shore, and in the marked line of 

 separation between the sea and river water. Such 

 appearances must be constant, and if seen, the 

 inferences could hardly be questionable, that the 

 great river of the west poured itself into the ocean 

 at this point. 



Mere description can give little idea of the ter 

 rors of the bar of the Columbia : all who have 

 seen it have spoken of the wildness of the scene, 

 and the incessant roar of the waters, representing 

 it as one of the most fearful sights that can pos- 

 sibly meet the eye of the sailor. The difficulty 

 of its channel, the distance of the leading sailing 

 marks, their uncertainty to one unacquainted with 

 them, the want of knowledge of the strength and 

 direction of the currents, with the necessity of ap- 

 proaching close to unseen dangers, the transition 

 from clear to turbid water, all cause doubt and 

 mistrust. 



.Under such feelings I must confess that I felt 

 myself labouring ; and although I had on board a 

 person from the Sandwich Islands who professed 

 to be a Columbia river pilot, I found him at a loss 

 to designate the true passage, and unable to tell 

 whether we were in a right way or not. I there- 

 fore, at once, determined to haul off with the tide, 

 which was running ebb with great rapidity, and 

 which soon carried us back into the blue water of 

 the ocean, to wait there until the sea on the bar 

 had in some measure subsided. 



The land near the mouth of the river is well 

 marked, and cannot readily be mistaken, and on the 

 summit of the two capes are several lofty spruce 

 and pine trees, which the officers of the Hudson 

 Bay Company have caused to be trimmed of 

 branches nearly to their tops. These serve as 

 conspicuous marks, but our pilot was ignorant of 

 their relation to the channel. 



Our passage from Oahu had been no more than 

 twenty-two days, which is unusually short. The 

 first part of it, until we passed in latitude 28 N., 

 beyond the influence of the trades and variables, 

 had been attended with light and contrary 

 winds. 



During the night, I took into consideration the 

 loss of time that must arise from awaiting an 

 opportunity to cross the bar, and after due reflec- 

 tion came to the conclusion that it would be better 

 to proceed at once to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, 

 and there begin my work on this coast. At day- 

 light, therefore, I spoke the Porpoise, and immedi- 

 ately bqre away to the northward. Signal was 

 then made to her to follow. Both vessels then 



