Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 14.djvu/14



6 LIEUTENANT HOWISON REPORT ON OREGON, 1846

At 2 p. m. of the 19th, I anchored off Astoria, where I re- mained until the 22d, in order to visit Gatsop Plains and the neighboring country.

We were abundantly furnished by the American settlers here with fresh beef and vegetables.

As I have said before, my only guide up the river was Wilkes's chart, which extended about twenty-five miles, and included part of Puget's island. In this a fine straight channel is delineated from the neighborhood of Tongue point up to Termination island. But upon consulting Lattee and an In- dian named George, who acts as pilot in the upper part of the river, they both denied the existence of this channel, and as- sured me that no other than the shallow and tortuous passage which Captain Wilkes had himself always used, and which was invariably used by all others, had been found out, although George said he had often in his canoe, and at favorable times, attempted to trace it as described by Captain Wilkes and his officers. I nevertheless adhered to the opinion that such a channel existed, but thought it best at present to follow the beaten track, and accordingly buoyed out the common channel, (which is necessarily done by every vessel attempting to pass through it), and used that in proceeding up the river. I em- ployed Indian George to accompany me, and derived great ad- vantage from his knowledge of the water above Tongue Point channel. He knows nothing about handling a vessel,, but, with a fair wind, will conduct her very safely, pointing out ahead where the channel runs.

At this season of the year westerly winds blow every day, and there is no difficulty in ascending the river.

I reached Fort Vancouver, 100 miles from its mouth, on the night of July 24th, where I found H. B. M. sloop-of-war "Mo- deste," Captain Baillie, who immediately sent on board his com- pliments and the offer of his services. There were also moored to the river bank two barques and a ship in the employment of the Hudson's Bay Company. The next morning Mr. Douglass, chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, called on me with polite offers of supplies, &G.