304 NISQUALLY AND COLUMBIA RIVER. 



blossom around its shores. This cove answers well all the purposes 

 of a temporary anchorage. Before the tide began to make in our 

 favour, we had finished the survey of the cove. We again sailed, and 

 at dark anchored under the west shore, near a fine bay ; which the 

 next day was surveyed, and named Port Madison. This is an excellent 

 harbour, affording every possible convenience for shipping. 



The scenery of this portion of Admiralty Inlet resembles strongly 

 parts of the Hudson river, particularly those about Poughkeepsie and 

 above that place. The distant highlands, though much more lofty, 

 reminded us of the Kaatskills. There were but few lodges of Indians 

 seen on our way up; and the whole line of shore has the appearance 

 of never having been disturbed by man. 



The wind proved fair the same afternoon, and we passed up the 

 inlet, taking the passage to the right of Vashon's Island, and finally, 

 towards evening, anchored just below the narrows leading into Puget 

 Sound, within a few yards of the shore and under a high perpendicular 

 bank, in sixteen fathoms. 



The shores of all these inlets and bays are remarkably bold ; so 

 much so, that in many places a ship's sides would strike the shore 

 before the keel would touch the ground. 



On the 11th of May, the morning proved calm, of which I took 

 advantage to survey this part of the sound, which we accomplished 

 before the afternoon, when the tide served us. At 3 p. m. we again 

 weighed our anchors, but had great difficulty in getting beyond the 

 reach of the eddy winds occasioned by the high banks. The scenery 

 about this pass becomes very fine: on all sides are high projecting 

 bluffs of sandstone, rising almost perpendicularly from the water, with 

 a great variety of shrubs along their base. The tide, which runs 

 through the narrows with great, velocity, causes many eddies and 

 whirlpools, through which a ship is carried with extraordinary 

 rapidity, while the danger seems to be imminent. The Porpoise 

 succeeded in entering the narrows first, and in a few minutes was lost 

 sight of; the Vincennes entered, and seemed at first to be hurrying to 

 destruction, with her sails quite aback. We were carried onward 

 wholly by the force of the tide, and had backed and filled only once 

 before we found ourselves in as spacious a sound as the one we had 

 just left. This narrow pass seems as if intended by its natural faci- 

 lities to afford every means for its perfect defence. 



Twelve miles more brought us to the anchorage off Nisqually, 

 where both vessels dropped their anchors about eight o'clock. Here 

 we found an English steamer undergoing repairs. Soon after we 

 anchored, I had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Anderson, who is in 



