Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/266

 The next day the surveying parties were sent to survey Puget Sound. The scenery from the observatory was grand. In the distance, far beyond the prairie, might be seen the snow-capped summits of Mount Hood, Mount  St. Helen’s, and Mount Ranier. They are beautiful to view at sunrise and at sunset. The woods were very thick, the trees large and close. Wolves were very numerous, and also foxes. Deer and bears were common, but not so much so as the treacherous wolves. Birds of all kinds were plenty, especially wild ducks and geese, which appeared very tame. While here we saw many of the Crows, Shoshones, Apaches, and Blackfeet Indians.

The survey of Puget Sound having been completed, the observatory was broken up, the instruments taken  down, packed, and sent aboard ship.

On the morning of the 17th we weighed anchor and took our departure for Point Dungeness, arriving there  on the 22d. The boats were immediately sent away on surveying duty. Here another accident happened. Samuel Williams, gunner’s mate, was firing a four- pounder for the purpose of measuring base by sound, when, as he was priming from a well-filled powder-horn,  a terrific explosion took place, sending him with much  force to the other side of the deck. His hand, arms, and face were much burned, but no bones were broken. On coming to, he wanted to know "if the powder-horn had busted." He was soon taken below and cared for.

We had scarcely dropped our anchor ere we were surrounded by many canoes bringing salmon, codfish, venison, and bear meat for sale.