Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/280



258 LEWIS A. MCARTHUR

top our boom southward reconnoitering the coast toward San Francisco, stopping- there for provisions, etc., etc. From there we shall go to Point Conception and perhaps San Diego.

"Notwithstanding the unfavorable circumstances under which we have labored, we shall have obtained many very im- portant results and now we have a land party under way we will proceed more rapidly. This winter I shall perhaps be at San Diego, and the next by the blessing of God I shall be at home."

The next letter is dated at San Francisco, August 27. "We arrived here safely on the 22nd. from a cruise along the coast. We have been successful in surveying the mouth of the Colum- bia River and up the same as far as Astoria. You will be surprised when I tell you that the dangers of the navigation of this truly magnificent river have been vastly exaggerated. We have crossed the bar sometimes as many as ten times a day for weeks together. More vessels have visited the Co- lumbia within the last year than perhaps ever before and not the slightest accident has occurred. We have completed our work faithfully. I feel sure the Superintendent will feel as much gratified as I do.

"On our way from the Columbia River we were successful enough to make a good reconnaissance of the whole coast from Cape Disappointment to this place and the limits of error may be estimated at one mile in longitude and an ^ mile in latitude. This I consider quite a triumph. We visited every river, bay and headland, and in fact sailed nine-tenths of the way within half a mile of the shore, anchoring every night and resuming our work in the morning. My fame (if any be merited) will rest upon this reconnaissance. I most heartily wish I could send you a copy of it. 9 The scale is ten times as large as that of Captain Wilkes and every accessory has been successfully attended to.

9 The three sheets of the Pacific Coast reconnaissance chart were engraved, printed and published in 20 working days from the time the drawings were first received at the Coast Survey Office in Washington a remarkable record. They are on a scale of about 1-850,000 or approximately i inch to 13. 5 miles. They may be found in the volume of accompanying papers to the annual report of the Superintendent of the Coast Survey for 1851.