316 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



paper, in which were depicted three shipwrecked persons, with the 

 junk on the rocks, and the Indians engaged in plundering. This 

 was sufficient to induce them to make inquiries; and Captain M'Niel 

 was despatched to Cape Flattery to obtain further information, and 

 afford relief, should it be needed. 



He had the satisfaction to find the three Japanese, whom he rescued 

 from slavery; and the Hudson Bay Company, with characteristic 

 liberality, sent them to England. Thence they took passage to 

 China, where I understand they still remain, in consequence of their 

 being unable to obtain a passage to Japan. 



As a memorial of this extraordinary incident, porcelain of Japanese 

 manufacture, which was purchased from the Indians who plundered 

 the junk, was seeir in possession of Mr. Burnie, the agent of the 

 Hudson Bay Company, at Astoria. 



On the 29th and part of the 30th, we had light airs and calms, so 

 that we made little or no progress. In the afternoon of the 30th, the 

 breeze freshened and carried us briskly to our destination. While 

 thus proceeding, a large canoe, containing about twenty Indians, 

 endeavoured to board us ; but I was too anxious to reach an anchor- 

 age, to regard their desires. 



I was in hopes that the wind would continue fair, and enable us to 

 have reached Neah Harbour ere night ; but as we approached Cape 

 Flattery and opened the Straits of Fuca, it became contrary. We 

 were therefore compelled to pass the night, which proved dark and 

 rain}^, under way. We had but little knowledge of the dangers that 

 might surround us ; but our frequent tacks throughout tlie night 

 showed us that but few existed at the mouth of the straits. 



The coast of Oregon, to the south of Cape Flattery, is rocky, 

 much broken, and affords no harbours, except for very small vessels. 

 It may therefore be considered as extremely dangerous, and parti- 

 cularly on account of its outlying rocks. The soundings on this 

 coast, however, I afterwards discovered, may serve as a sure indi- 

 cation by which danger may be avoided, and safety may be insured 

 by not approaching the coast into soundings of less than seventy 

 fathoms. 



On the morning of the 1st of May, we found ourselves well into 

 the straits ; and as I proposed to defer the survey of this part of them 

 until my return, we hastened to reach Port Discovery, where we 

 anchored at half-past 6 p. m. on the 2d of May ; just forty-nine years 



