COLUMBIA RIVER. 323 



Soon after our arrival at Port Discovery, I despatched an Indian 

 with a letter to the fort of the Hudson Bay Company at Nisqually, at 

 the upper end of Puget Sound, to request that a pilot might be sent 

 me. My interview with the native whom I employed for this purpose 

 was amusing. He appeared of a gay and lively disposition : the first 

 thing he did, when brought into the cabin, was to show me a cross 

 and repeat his ave, which he did with great readiness and apparent 

 devotion ; but he burst into loud laughter as soon as he had finished 

 repeating it. He and I made many eflforts to understand each other, 

 but without much success, except so far as the transmission of the 

 letter to Fort Nisqually, and the reward he was to receive on his 

 return. 



In the excursions of the ofiicers, several burial-places were met with. 

 The corpses are not interred; but are wrapped in mats and. placed 

 upon the ground in a sitting posture, and surrounded with stakes and 

 pieces of plank to protect them from the weather and wild beasts. 



On the 5th of May, the officers were all engaged in surveying, 

 while I occupied one of the points as a station, where I made astrono- 

 mical and magnetic observations. I found the latitude 48° 02' 58" N. ; 

 the longitude 123° 02' 07-5" W.; the variation was 20° 40' E. 



Tlie temperature in the shade, was 55°. 



On the 6th of May, finding that the messenger whom I had 

 despatched to Fort Nisqually did not return, I determined to proceed 

 towards that place without further delay. We therefore got under 

 way at half-past ten, and beat otit of Port Discovery : we then stood 

 towards Point Wilson (of Vancouver), which forms one side of the 

 entrance into Admiralty Inlet. Turning the point, we entered the 

 inlet, and soon anchored in Port Townsend, on its northern side, in 

 ten fathoms water. 



Port Townsend is a fine sheet of water, three miles and a quarter 

 in length, by one mile and three-quarters in width. Opposite to our 

 anchorage is an extensive table-land, free from wood, and which 

 would afford a good site for a town. 



The bay is free from dangers and is well protected from the 

 quarters whence stormy winds blow. It has anchorage of a conve- 

 nient depth ; and there is abundance of fresh water to be had. 



In the afternoon, we landed and examined the table-land. The 

 next day we were engaged in surveying the bay, which we com- 

 menced at an early hour. Our base was .measured on a straight and 

 level beach, nearly a mile in length, upon the north shore. At the 



