Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/440

 408 Charles Henry Carey ship Mount Vernon; one pilot directing both vessels. These vessels keep close together so that the pilot can give directions as he sees proper concerning either of them. We advance from thirty to forty miles today. We feel we are bound homeward, yet the uncertainties of a long voyage at sea are before us. Our confidence is in Him who has guided thus far, and done all things well. Thursday, 15. We drift down the river perhaps twenty miles, against a fierce breeze ; but after all it is possible and even probable that an opposing wind is to our advantage. In many places the water is shallow, and with an opposing wind, we go so slow that when we find very shallow water, we cast anchor and then kedge off our ship into deeper water with the kedge anchor, so called. In one or two instances this day the current has taken us very near the shore, but the anchor has answered its purpose apparently just before we struck. Cool west wind today, so cold as to be uncomfortable on deck. Friday, 16. Calm, beautiful pleasant morning. The sun shines with great brightness. The Mount Vernon has struck the ground and holds still ; the pilot is with us this morning and we are descending the Columbia some- what favorably. At noon we cast anchor near some saw mills, say twenty-five or thirty miles above the mouth of the Co- lumbia River. Here the ship receives more freight. Sunday, 18. We have meeting today. The men from the mills, Mr. Birnie 18 and family &c make a congrega- tion of about thirty hearers. Monday, 19. The crew busy taking in lumber. Tuesday, 20. Still busy in taking in lumber. This day I draw on the Treas. in favor of Capt. Joseph Adams for $120 for our passage to Sandwich Islands. Wednesday, 21. This morning our anchor is hoisted, and we make an effort to float or drift down the river ^James Birnie, representative of Hudson's Bay Company. This was at Cathlamet, Washington.