COLUMBIA RIVER. 317 



after Vancouver, pursuing the track of De Fuca, had visited the 

 same harbour. 



The Straits of Juan de Fuca may be safely navigated. The M'ind 

 will for the greater part of the year be found to blow directly through 

 them, and generally outwards : this wind is at times very violent. 

 The shores of the strait are bold, and anchorage is to be found in but 

 few places. We could not obtain bottom in some places with sixty 

 fathoms of line, even within a boat's length of the shore. 



The south shore is composed of perpendicular sandy cliffs that 

 run back into high and rugged peaks, and is covered with a forest of 

 various species of pines, that rises almost to the highest points of 

 the range of mountains. The highest points themselves are covered 

 with snow; and among them Mount Olympus was conspicuous, rising 

 to an altitude of eight thousand one hundred and thirty-eight feet. 



The north shore is rocky, and composed, as far as we could examine 

 it, of conglomerate, and in some few places of a reddish granite. 



In the morning we were boarded by a large canoe, with Indians, 

 who spoke a few words of English ; and we had occasion to notice 

 the wide difference between them and the Polynesians, both in lan- 

 guage and appearance. No contrast can be more striking than this. 

 They seemed to have scarcely any idea of decency, and to be little 

 less elevated in their moral qualities than the Fuegians. 



The principal man of the party was dressed in a coarse coat of red 

 cloth, with the Hudson Bay Company's buttons, and corduroy trou- 

 sers. He had neither shirt, shoes, nor hat, although the rain was 

 falling fast. The others were habited in blankets or skins, and wore 

 conical grass hats, resembling in shape those of the Chinese. 



The first inquiry was, whether we were Boston or King George's 

 ships, by which terms they distinguish Americans and English. 



They brought with them for sale some fish and a few furs. On 

 the latter they appeared to set a high value, and were not a little 

 disappointed when they learned that we had no desire to purchase 

 them. They readily parted with their fine fish for a few fish-hooks 

 and a little tobacco. 



These Indians were short, thick-set, bow-legged, muscular, and 

 seemed capable of enduring great fatigue. The most obvious pecu- 

 liarity was the shape of their heads, which appeared to have been 

 compressed, both before and behind, so as to give them the form of a 

 wedge. Their cheek-bones were high, and their eyes, which were 

 fine, were set wide apart ; their colour was a light copper. The 



VOL. IV. 80 



