COLUMBIA RIVER. 325 



above that place. The distant highlands, though much more lofty, 

 reminded us of the Kaatskills. There were but few lodges of Indians 

 seen on our way up ; and the whole line of shore has the appearance 

 of never having been disturbed by man. 



The wind proved fair the same afternoon, and we passed up the 

 inlet, taking the passage to the right of Vashon's Island, and finally, 

 towards evening, anchored just below the narrows leading into Puget 

 Sound, within a few yards of the shore and under a high perpendicu- 

 lar bank, in sixteen fathoms. 



The shores of all these inlets and bays are remarkably bold ; so 

 much so, that in many places a ship's sides would strike the shore 

 before the keel would touch the ground. 



On the 11th of May, the morning proved calm, of which I took 

 advantage to survey this part of the sound, which we accomplished 

 before the afternoon, when the tide served us. At 3 p. m. we again 

 weighed our anchors, but had great difficulty in getting beyond the 

 reach of the eddy winds occasioned by the high banks. The scenery 

 about this pass becomes very fine : on all sides are high projecting 

 bluffs of sandstone, rising almost perpendicularly from the water, 

 with a great variety of shrubs along their base. The tide, which runs 

 through the narrows with great velocity, causes many eddies and 

 whirlpools, through which a ship is carried with extraordinary 

 rapidity, while the danger seems to be imminent. The Porpoise 

 succeeded in entering the narrows first, and in a few minutes was 

 lost sight of; the Vincennes entered, and seemed at first to be hur- 

 rying to destruction, with her sails quite aback. We were carried 

 onward wholly by the force of the tide, and had backed and filled 

 only once before we found ourselves in as spacious a sound as the 

 one we had just left. This narrow pass seems as if intended by its 

 natural facilities to afford every means for its perfect defence. 



Twelve miles more brought us to the anchorage off Nisqually, 

 where both vessels dropped their anchors about eight o'clock. Here 

 we found an English steamer undergoing repairs. Soon after we 

 anchored, I had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Anderson, who is 

 in charge of the fort, and Captain M'Niel. They gave me a warm 

 welcome, and offered every assistance in their power to aid me in my 

 operations. 



Nothing can exceed the beauty of these waters, and their safety : 

 not a shoal exists within the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, 



VOL. IV. 82 



