Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/190

 182 .DOCUMENT the honor to communicate the following account of my pro- ceedings, and the result of my observations. I left Oahu in the American brig Loriot on the 24th of November last, and on the 22d of December made Cape Disap- pointment, the northern point of entrance to the Columbia. The wind was high from the westward, and the bar presented a terrific appearance, breaking entirely across the channel from the north to the south shoals. The wind blowing directly on shore, and^ believing it would be impossible to work off against the heavy westwardly swell, we attempted the passage at twelve M., and crossed the bar safely, in not less than five fathoms, and anchored, at two o'clock, in Baker's bay. I am thus particular because the idea generally, prevails that the bar of the Columbia should never be crossed when it breaks. In the afternoon the wind strengthened to a gale but we were completely sheltered by Cape Disappointment. About eight o'clock at night we were visited by a large canoe, containing twelve Indians of the Chenook tribe. The princi- pal chief, Chenamus, and his wife, were of the party; they brought us wild fowl, ducks, geese, &c. The first question Chenamus asked on coming on board was "Is this King George or Boston ship?" Chenamus told us two vessels were lying at Fort George, distant fourteen miles, on the opposite side of the bay. It was late in the afternoon of the 23d before we weighed, when we stood up the bay towards Fort George. We anchored at night opposite the fort, (at the entrance of the river formed by Chenook point and Point George,) distant five miles. Early on the morning of the 24th, I crossed over in the boat to the fort, and found the ships alluded to by the Indians were the Hudson Bay Company's ships Nereide and Llama, both loaded and ready for sea; the former with the, annual supply of goods suitable for the Indian trade at the Hudson Bay Com- pany's depots along the coast at the north, from Pugitt's sound in 47 30' north, to Fort Simpson, in 54 40' north ; the latter with a valuable cargo of British manufactures, bound to St. Francisco, California. Ascertained the, Hudson Bay Company's