NISQUALLY AND COLUMBIA RIVER. 295 



The ship was at once brought by the wind and all the studding-sails 

 taken in. 



The same discovery was made on board the Porpoise, and she was 

 in the act of communicating it by signal. Neither of the vessels now 

 had much water under their keels, and both were in imminent danger. 

 We owed our safety to the good qualities of the vessels, which were 

 on this occasion very evident, and to the conduct of the officers and 

 crew, whose promptness and attention to the execution of the orders 

 deserve my highest praise, and reflect great credit on their discipline. 



Our situation caused me much anxiety for a short time ; and this 

 was one of the many hair-breadth escapes from wreck, incident to 

 this cruise. The difficulty of our position was enhanced by the heavy 

 sea we had to encounter, into which the vessels plunged so heavily as 

 to endanger our spars. The same cause had prevented us from bend- 

 ing the chain cables, so that we had no means of anchoring until after 

 we had passed the most dangerous points. 



We had several casts of the lead in five, six, seven, eight, and nine 

 fathoms. 



In examining into the cause of our being found so unexpectedly in 

 this position, I am led to believe that there is a current that sets upon 

 the coast : and in this I was confirmed by trials made afterwards. 



Soon after we were out of danger, it cleared up sufficiently to give 

 us a view of the land, which proved to be Point Grenville of Vancou- 

 ver, and Destruction Isle. The latter is easily known by some remark- 

 able perforations through a rock near it. 



Near Point Grenville, several accidents have happened, both to 

 English and Russian vessels ; and a boat's crew belonging to one of 

 the latter, was inhumanly massacred by the Indians. 



It was also near this spot, that the very remarkable occurrence of 

 the wreck of a Japanese junk happened in the year 1833. The officers 

 of the Hudson Bay Company became aware of this disaster in a sin- 

 gular manner. They received a drawing on a piece of China-paper, 

 in which were depicted three shipwrecked persons, with the junk on 

 the rocks, and the Indians engaged in plundering. This was sufficient 

 to induce them to make inquiries ; and Captain M'Niel was despatched 

 to Cape Flattery to obtain further information, and afford relief, should 

 it be needed. 



He had the satisfaction to find the three Japanese, whom he rescued 

 from slavery; and the Hudson Bay Company with characteristic 

 liberality, sent them to England. Thence they took passage to China, 

 where I understand they still remain, in consequence of their being 

 unable to obtain a passage to Japan 



