322 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



any disputes or maltreatment of the Indians, and that force is never 

 to be resorted to but in cases of self-defence. 



No officer or man will be allowed to visit the shore without arms, 

 and boats' crews, when surveying or on other duty, will be furnished 

 with such as are necessary for their protection. 



Charles Wilkes, 



Com'manding Exploring Expedition. 

 U. S. Ship Vincennes, 



May 1st, 1840. 



We remained at Port Discovery until 6th May, during which 

 time we were employed in surveying the harbour and exploring the 

 country. Our botanists had a large and interesting field opened to 

 them, and there are few places where the variety and beauty of the 

 flora are so great as they are here. Dodecatheon, Viola, Trifolium, 

 Leptosiphon, Scilla (the cammass of the natives), Collinsia, Clay- 

 tonia, Stellaria, &c., vied with each other in beauty, and were in such 

 profusion, as to excite both admiration and astonishment. According 

 to Mr. Brackenridge, the soil on which the plants grow consists of a 

 light-brown loam, but the general character of the soil around Port 

 Discovery is a thin, black, vegetable mould, with a substratum of 

 sand and gravel. 



The trees grow so closely that in some places the woods are almost 

 impenetrable. The timber consists principally of pine, fir, and spruce. 

 Of the latter there are two species, one of which resembles the hem- 

 lock-spruce of the United States : it has a very tall growth, and puts 

 out but few, and those small, lateral branches. Some maple-trees 

 grow in the open grounds and on the banks, but they are too small 

 to be of any service to the settler. Several trees which we cut down 

 to make spars for the Vincennes, proved, although healthy in appear- 

 ance before they were felled, to be more or less defective : the wood 

 was sound and compact on one side only, while on the other it was 

 open-grained and fibrous. 



Several of the officers made excursions into the woods after game. 

 In these they found much difficulty, in consequence of the quantity 

 of fallen trees, that lay crossing each other in every direction. No 

 large game, however, was seen. Of birds, crows, robins, &c., were 

 in abundance ; and some beautiful specimens of land-shells (Helices) 

 were obtained. 



