126 COLUMBIA RIVER. 



for the Oregon, but it also served to forward the surveying duties, 

 and to afford the officers and men such quarters at night as would 

 protect them from the sickly season, that was approaching, and of 

 which we had received such unfavourable accounts. The plan 

 adopted for the survey of this river will be given in the Hydrogra- 

 phical Memoir. 



On the 18th of August, I left Astoria with the Porpoise and 

 Oregon to continue the survey. We reached Tongue Point, where 

 we anchored, previously to crossing thence to the opposite side of 

 the river, through the crooked channel which was then believed to 

 be the only passage by which a vessel of any class could ascend the 

 stream.* 



On the 19th, the vessels attempted to pass through this channel, 

 but on entering it they both took the ground. The tide was at its 

 full height, and soon began to fall, when the Porpoise began to keel 

 over, until she fell on her beam-ends. We were in hopes that the 

 night tide would be sufficient to float her off, but we found its rise 

 less by nearly a foot than that of the day ; it therefore became neces- 

 sary to make extraordinary exertions to prepare for the next day's 

 tide by buoying her up with casks, which, fortunately, we had at 

 hand, on board the Oregon. It now became necessary to float her 

 off, in order to avoid a second failure. We therefore had recourse to 

 passing her chain cable under her bottom, to which a line of casks 

 was lashed on the weather side, at the same time the launch was 

 suspended as a weight from her masthead to preserve her in the same 

 position. The hawsers that had been landed at Astoria by our store- 

 vessels were sent for and attached to the brig's anchors, and so placed 

 as to haul her at once into the deepest water and through the narrow 

 pass. When all was prepared, a strong wind arose from the seaward, 

 and caused a swell which broke adrift some of the casks, leaving suffi- 

 cient, however, to float her before high water. 



I was much relieved when I saw her again afloat, for I had felt 

 not a little anxious lest in the drifting sands of the river she might 

 have formed a bed, which would have placed it out of our power to 

 get her off before the next spring tides, and would have compelled 

 us to discharge all her guns, &c. Although this would have been 

 attended with a great deal of trouble, it would have been of little 



* A channel which we afterwards discovered, leads directly upwards from Tongue 

 Point, and affords every desirable facility for the navigation of the Columbia river. 



