LOSS OF THE PEACOCK. 489 



The soundings were somewhat peculiar ; for it was found that in 

 our progress down the coast, they increased almost regularly until 

 ninety fathoms was reached ; but, a short distance beyond that depth, 

 and at about fifteen miles from the coast, the bank suddenly fell off, 

 and no bottom was to be obtained with a line of two hundred and two 

 hundred and fifty fathoms long. 



On the 6th, at daylight, Cape Disappointment was in sight ; and at 

 ten o'clock we were near the cape. The whale-ship Orozimbo, was 

 off at the same time, the crew of which was much affected with the 

 scurvy : I therefore sent to her medical assistance. The Flying-Fish 

 joined us at noon ; when Captain Hudson came on board, and from 

 him I learned the particulars of the loss of the Peacock. 



It will be necessary in the first place to state, that at Oahu, Sand- 

 wich Islands, previous to the departure of the squadron on their 

 several cruises, I had furnished the Peacock, Porpoise, and tender, with 

 directions for their passing the bar, which I obtained from Captain 

 Spalding, of the ship Lausanne, a vessel of five or six hundred tons 

 burden, which had just returned from the Columbia river, whither she 

 had taken a number of missionaries and their stores. These appeared 

 to be carefully drawn up, and Captain Spalding informed me that they 

 could be depended upon. The fact that so large a ship had been navi- 

 gated by them, and the report of the master that he believed them 

 correct, left me no reason to doubt their probable accuracy ; although 

 at the time I had some misgivings about them, as they were entirely 

 dependent on compass bearings, and those of objects at great distances. 

 They were, however, the only directions for passing this dangerous 

 bar which were to be had, and were then believed to be the only 

 correct ones in existence. It was supposed, indeed, that they had 

 been communicated to the Hudson Bay Company by the officers of 

 H. B. M. surveying vessels Sulphur and Starling ; but of this I had 

 no positive evidence ; for, although I met those vessels at the Feejee 

 Islands, I received no communication from them on this subject. 



The Peacock made Cape Disappointment on the afternoon of the 

 17th of July, and throughout the night experienced light airs and 

 calms, accompanied by a dense fog. 



On the morning of the 18th, between seven and eight o'clock, the 

 fog cleared off, with the wind from the southward and eastward. 

 Cape Disappointment was then about nine miles distant. At nine 

 they sounded in forty fathoms water; at ten, fifteen: they had but 

 fourteen fathoms when they tacked off shore. It being Sunday, Captain 

 Hudson, as usual, performed divine service, which being finished at 



vol. iv. 62 



