508 DE PUCA'S STRAITS AND 



The breeze sprung up at two o'clock, when the anchor was hove 

 up and sail made. The change in the organization of the land party 

 delayed us for a short time, but the gentlemen whom I had appointed 

 to it were ready in a few minutes, and left the ship, upon which we 

 immediately bore away to the Narrows. 



It is no more than justice to Messrs. Eld and Colvocoressis, to 

 acknowledge the promptness and good spirit with which they under- 

 took the duty thus unexpectedly assigned them, and I take the same 

 occasion to state that the manner in which they performed their task, 

 and overcame the many difficulties which impeded its execution, 

 merit my warmest thanks. 



It would be difficult to give the reader an idea of the anxieties that 

 beset me at this juncture. Day after day had passed in the anxious 

 expectation of receiving news of the Peacock and Flying-Fish, until 

 a conviction became general, with both officers and crew, that some 

 serious accident had occurred to one or both of them, among the dan- 

 gerous coral reefs and islands they had been sent to explore. They 

 were now three months later than the time appointed for their arrival 

 at the Columbia river. 



For my own part, after reviewing the whole of the duties assigned 

 to Captain Hudson in my instructions, and again estimating the time 

 necessary to fulfil them, I could not but apprehend, from the length 

 to which his Aroyage was protracted, that disaster had occurred. In 

 this state of feeling, the officers of the Vincennes showed a highly 

 commendable spirit, and aware that additional labours were thus to 

 be thrown upon them, strained every nerve to avoid any further loss of 

 time. The officers of the Porpoise, as I was informed by Lieutenant- 

 Commandant Ringgold, manifested an equally praiseworthy spirit. 



With the aid of both wind and tide, we succeeded in ffettino- 

 through the pass at the Narrows before dark, and when this was 

 effected, I anchored under Vashon's Island for the night. 



The next day we made but little progress, owing to light winds, 

 and a strong tide against us. 



On the 19th, we anchored off Port Lawrence and near the entrance 

 to Hood's Canal, and on the 20th came to anchor in New Dungeness 

 Roads, which I had assigned for a rendezvous with the Porpoise, 

 which vessel joined us on the same day. 



I shall now revert for a short time to the surveying operations, 

 performed under instructions embraced in my orders of the 11th of 

 May, which will be found in Appendix XL 



On the 15th of May, the Porpoise left Nisqually, and anchored the 



