288 GEOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 
Vancouver, who saw only the southern outlet of Port Orchard, did not recognize that it was 
an island, and represented it as a part of the continent. | 
Ringgold, by sailing through the narrow Agatha’s Passage, proved it to be an island, and it 
was named Bainbridge island, after Mr. Bainbridge, a United States naval officer, under the 
command of whom Wilkes had once served. 
The southwestern extremity of the island is the best known point of it in the history of 
exploration. It rises abruptly in a low cliff about 12 feet from the water side. The surface 
presents a beautiful meadow covered with luxuriant herbage. Vancouver saw this point on 
the 19th of May, 1792, and called it at first Village Point, because he found an Indian village 
on its western extremity. To the south of this point, and under the cover of it, he anchored 
for a longer period of time, and made it the central station and rendezvous of his boat expedi- 
tions for the exploration of all the waters of Admiralty Inlet. Afterwards he changed the 
name of Village Point, and called it finally Restoration Point, having celebrated that memora- 
ble event whilst at anchor under it.* This point I believe should receive again its old name 
in our marine charts. | 
Blake's Island.—This little island lies south of Point Restoration. Vancouver sailed around 
it, but could not come to anchor there, because he found nowhere less than sixty fathoms within 
a cable's length of the shore. 
He gave no name to it. It was named by Wilkes, I believe, in compliment to Captain Blake, 
United States navy. 
Vashon's island is an island similar in size and configuration to Bainbridge island. It is ten 
miles long from north to south, and four in width from west to east. 
It is separated from the great peninsula by a channel somewhat similar to Port Orchard. 
This passage, as well as also the insularity of this island, was at once discovered by Vancouver 
from his station at Point Restoration. He sent his lieutenant, Puget, t through the said passage 
to the west of this island, which he called Vashon's island, after his friend, Captain Vashon, 
English navy. + 
By the officers of Wilkes’s exploring expedition it was discovered that the southeastern 
portion of this island is only connected with it by a narrow sandy isthmus at low water, and 
separated at high water, and that it ought to be called an island of itself. 
The name Maury’s island was given to it, after one of the officers of the exploring ex- 
pedition. 
Point Defiance and the Narrows.—Point Defiance is the long, low extremity of a little 
peninsula of the most southern part of Admiralty Inlet. It marks the limits between this 
great inlet and Puget Sound, and these limits are further marked by a contracted passage near 
this point, called the Narrows. Through these Narrows the tide runs with great velocity, 
causing many eddies and whirlpools, through which the vessels are carried with extraordinary 
rapidity.§ 
“See the proofs for all this in Vancouver, vol. 1, pages 259, 260, 279. It is to be observed that the latitude which Van- 
couver gives in his report (page 279) to this point, 47° 30’ N., does not agree either with our present latitude of the south- 
east point of Bainbridge island, or with the latitude which Vancouver gives to it in his charts. Notwithstanding this, there 
is not the slightest doubt that his Restoration or Village Point is the point designated by me. 
t Vancouver, vol. 1, p, 260. 
і Vancouver, vol. 1, p. 275. 
§ Wilkes, vol. IV, p. 304. 
