294 NISQUALLY AND COLUMBIA RIVER. 



fessed to be a Columbia river pilot, I found him at a loss to designate 

 the true passage, and unable to tell whether we were in a right way 

 or not. I therefore, at once, determined to haul off with the tide, 

 which was running ebb with great rapidity, and which soon carried us 

 back into the blue water of the ocean, to wait there until the sea on 

 the bar had in some measure subsided. 



The land near the mouth of the river is well marked, and cannot 

 readily be mistaken, and on the summit of the two capes are several 

 lofty spruce and pine trees, which the officers of the Hudson Bay 

 Company have caused to be trimmed of branches nearly to their tops. 

 These serve as conspicuous marks, but our pilot was ignorant of their 

 relation to the channel. 



Our passage from Oahu had been no more than twenty-two days, 

 which is unusually short. The first part of it, until we passed in lati- 

 tude 28° N., beyond the influence of the trades and variables, had been, 

 as already stated, attended with light and contrary winds. 



The temperature of the air had fallen from 78° to 43°, and that of 

 the sea to 40°. 



During the night we had boisterous weather, and the ship was very 

 uncomfortable, in consequence of her shipping water in considerable 

 quantities through the hawse-holes, which flooded her gun-deck. As, 

 in conformity with my determination to wait until the surf on the bar 

 should have subsided, the anchors would not be needed for some days, 

 I ordered the chain cables to be unbent, which would permit the hawse- 

 holes to be closed. 



During the night, I took into consideration the loss of time that must 

 arise from awaiting an opportunity to cross the bar, and after due 

 reflection came to the conclusion that it would be better to proceed at 

 once to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and there begin my work on this 

 coast. At daylight, therefore, (bearings of the cape had been taken 

 the night previously and our position carefully calculated, and a course 

 steered to run along the coast,) I spoke the Porpoise, and immediately 

 bore away to the northward. Signal was then made to her to follow. 

 Both vessels then proceeded at the rate of eight or ten miles an 

 hour. 



The weather was very thick, and the wind south-southwest. At 

 ten o'clock the Porpoise was close under our lee-quarter. I was 

 myself below, when I was informed by the officer of the deck that we 

 had entered disturbed water. A number of birds were around the 

 vessels, and a cast of the lead gave fifteen fathoms. By the time I 

 reached the deck, land was seen through the haze, close aboaid. 



