Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/165

 Second Voyage of the Columbia 145 into winter quarters the 20th of September, there built a House & set up the Sloop she was best part done, when the natives on the 18th of February came to attack us; she was then got ready to launch as soon as possible, otherways according to our customary delays I know not whether She would have been launch'd at this time, we sail'd together on the 2 d April the one to the Southward, the other to the Northward on board the Ship owing to their being no Commander we have run many risks both in sailing along shore and going into harbours, unknown, unsounded, and without a boat in the water ; one of these harbours with the wind blowing on to the breakers, we ran down and over a bar, in three fathoms of water, were as good luck would have it we got over safe, and without sounding or a boat ahead we bear out of the same place & came over the bar again in three fathoms water, thus many are the dangers we have past and risks carelessly run. 17 At last however fortune refus'd any longer to smile and in blundering along, (for I can call it by no better name) without any lookout kept, within three miles of a most inhospitable & rocky shore, the Ship going six knots with a crowd of sail, struck a rock about four feet under water (this was the 25th of June) the Sloop in company. Mr. Haswell says he in the Sloop saw the rock break & hauFd from it. (the Ship was to follow him) the Ship however making but little water was immediately bore away for Derby's Sound, the night of the 26th it blew a fresh gale from the westward, the officers of the watches of both vessels raced to try which would carry sail longest & go fastest by the wind, previous to this Mr. Haswell was ordered to tack at 12 oClock it then being Mr. Smith 18 watch in the Ship, the Sloop went 17 There is something wrong here; perhaps Hoskins' evident animus overbore his regard for accuracy. In the Boit Journal in this Quarterly, Vol. xxii, pp. 306 and 309, it is stated that in entering Gray's Harbor and the Columbia River Capt. Gray had a boat ahead. 18 Owen Smith, who had sailed as third mate, but who was now in all probability, second mate, having doubtless been promoted when Joshua Caswell, the second mate, was murdered.