The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-10-16

The Joint commission OF the army and Ravy ozhoess
detailed BY government to explore the whole coast o. the
United States lying the Pacific ocean, with retsrence
to ITS permanent deence adaptation 10 navy ssts0tsh
men's and other important specified particulars Jeausnsd
70 this place few days snce, having nearly compleed
taelr labors The commission Is made up of hvte NON
he navy aud three from the army: Captain L. NJ ootds
borough, captain Van Brent and Lieutenant Linea Lun
are OF the navy; Colonel j. l.. Smith. Major CQrnsius
osIen ana Lieutenant y Leadbelter belong 70 the army
ihe coast OF Caiiofnia north OF San Francisco, 10
cludng the whole of Oregon to 10 deg has been bosoue
y examined and valuable information obtained In me
course OF tins examination, and after visiting our posses
sions lying along the Straits oi Fuca Admiralty I,slse
Pages Sound, &c, NC, up TO boundary line st te
i9h parallel OF latitude, became necessary 10 psupsAl
TO Beavers harb0r, the northeast art OF Vsncowysrts
Island In order To Obtain fresh supply of Goals fos The
propeller Massachusetts, This vessel Transferred 10
The naval service for the special purpose OF accomnsda-
ting the and Tor conveying its members to the
places connected with their prescribed duties Al that
place abundant, supply Of buminous coal, Of IN
eellent quality for steamng purposes was readily pro-
cured but Beaver harbo reached via the Gull OF
Georgia, and thus by what termed the inside passage
and the norh-about route was the pursued in return
ing seems then, that Vancouvers Island was completely
ccumnavgaed and that the party in question went
far north 81 degrees. a4 te1 sAgp eeA
Coal was found TO exist in immense quantities all
around and about Beaver harbor and also on the sea-
ward side OF Vancouver, opposite that harbor. and
the main land oblquey opposite and still to the north
ward The beautiful harbors OF Victoria and Esquimat
the former a settlement oil the Hudson Bay Company
were visited by the commission Esquimalt is de-
scribed OF the very best anchoages that can be
conceived OF for ships Of any drausht or size whateyer
Both these places, IT must be remembered, Van
lcouvefs island, and lie along the straits OF Fuca After
accomplishing all that was required IN the quarters men.
toned the commission next directed its attention 10
that part Of coast running from the southern cape OF
the straits OF Fuca 10 Columbia river, and then to that
river ITSELF together with It's tributaries In the
OF these examinations, learn that party was de-
spatched visit carefully large and weI-shetered har
bor known hereabouts as Shoawater bay, aad AAyinY
lis entrance thirty miles north OF Cape DaAppOtt
men or in the neighborhood Of midway iron that cape
to Gray's harbor "a s,s.. Y w
The prosecution of this servcs confirmed the fact that
the OF the habor and those oi the mouth OF the
Columbia approach each other within very short dis
tancea distance involving portage at present almost
impracticabe for Wagons wIetboat was hauled over
is thought that Shoaiwatcr bay destined 10 become
point OF material consequences IN many respects ~ av-
erage length Chat is, OF the bay proler) twenty
miles, and its breadth eight The bar, too.
at It's entrance, understood to present serious obsa
Gle 10 the admission OF ships OF the largest cia at all
But one oi the most remarkable features of this place
is that ship may probably approach Bakers bay OF CAPE
Disappointment, its entrance. within some six Or eht
miles II abounds however, with sand banks hat thafe
are good channel-ways between them, and thS wnoe
sheet OF water as placid summers lake. On NH
ing the Columbia and coastng along to the southWu,
the commission touched of the Umpqua, and asoetuned
that its bar water practicable ior commsEcsa Po!-
poses under certain circumstances lndeed aR Ames-
can schooner at the time lying at anchor - tAny9r
ami had reached her position without difficulty The
lands of the Umpqua valley described 40 even 9e
fertile than those tof the Willamette, and the RfnxHQy
in these valleys matter of singular importance DpoA
the whole we learn that the examinations OF tofcom-
mission have proved highly interesting aud we II eer-
,aaly happy to observe that our government adfeady
engaged the preliminary steps towards t0EniynS oar
Pacific posse aud awaiting iise OF theiR onnted
advantages for naval establishments 49, .i " s..sss.-