Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-09-01
"reminiscences of Oregon Settle
mcmt.

"reminiscences of Oregon Settle
ncnt.
The United States Exploring ENpetti-
ton Visits Pu-et SQUAD and Columbia
river.
Oregon was visited this wear by
h" United = &i.s Exploring EXpedi-
iion colnmnn,iel by Captain CHARLES
Wilkes, |. =. Navy.
Entirely Invested of all military
character, it, objects were altogether
scientific and tful, intended for
the ben, ii. equally Of tie United
States and OF ali commercial ina
tious of the world" In assigning
officers, the President did not select
from senior ranks of the navy, nor
according to grade of service. Lieut..
Charles Wilkes WAS appointed chief,
and Lieut., Willinu il. Hudson,
though superior IN rank, was selected
second in command. The instruct
ions of the Hon James X. Pauldine
Secretary of the Navy, bear date
August 1lth, 1898.
The Congress of the United
States, having in view the important
interests of our commerce eubark"d
in the whale FISHERIES. and other
adventures i'll the great southern
Dee IL, by an act Of the 18th of
May, 1896, authorized ar eXpe,ii-
tipn TO be fitted out for the purpose
Of exploring and surveying that sea,
rs we'll to determine the existence of
all doubtful islands and shoals, as to
discover and accurately fix the posi-:
ton of those which lie in or near
the track of our vessels in that
quarter, and may have escaped the
observation of scientific navigators. !"
Having in general terms indicated
the order in which the voyage should
be pursued and designating the
lands and seas to be explored, the
Squadron was to rendezvous at Sand
wlch Islands.
Thence you will direct your
course to the northwest coast OF
America, making such surveys and
examinations, first of the territory
of the United States an the sea-
board, and Of the Columbia river,
and afterwards along the coast of
California, with special reference to
the Bay of San Francisco, as you
can accomplish by the month of Oc-
tober following your arrival
Although the primary objects
of the expedition is the promotion of
the great interest of commerce and
navigation. yet you will take all &C.
casions, not incompatible with the
great purposes of your undertaking,
to extend the bounds of science:
and promote the acquisition of know
ledge. For the more successful at.
tainment of these, q corps of scien.
tiic gentlemen, consisting of the
following persons, will accompany
III. expedition:
Horatio Hale, Philologist; Chas.
Pickering, Naturalist; L. II. Peale,
Naturalist; Joseph 2. Couthouy,
Conchologist; James d. Dana,
Mineralogist; William Rich, Botan-
list; Joseph Drayton, Draghtsman;
Alfred L. Agate, DraShtsman; j.
d. Breckenridge, Horticultural"
OF the scientific corps, Prof. Cou-
thouy was detached at Honolulu in
the Fall of 1910. The vessels origin
ally constituting the exploring squad
ron, were: lmcennes, (sloop of
war; $50 tons, Lieut. Charles Wilkes,
L. S. N, commanding expedition;
Peacock, (sloop of war; $50 tons,
Lieut., W. S. Hudson, U. S. n;
ship Rclief, LIEUT. A. X. Long, U.
5. N; brig PorpotSe, Lieut. Cad
walader RInggold, U. S. N; ten
der Sea GaH, Lieut. Reid, Z. S. N;
tender Flying Fash, Lieut. Knox, U.
S. n. The ship RcItf was sent
home from Callao by way of Sand
wish Islands and Sidney; the ten
der Sea GuH was lost in May, 1899;
thus the Squadron before it had
reached the Oregon coast had been
reduced to the ships IIu,cenneS, and
Peacock, the brig POrpoise and the
tender Flying Fish.
The Ptacocb' and Flying Fash had
not returned from cruise in search
of islands he r the Equator, and
between 100 and 173 west longitude,
when April 9th, ]S41 } the Tincennes
and PofpoiSe left Oahee for the
Columbia river. On the 18th April,
at 6 A. NJ. those vessels made Cape
Disappointment. A heavy sea was
running, breakers extending from
Cape disappointment to Point Adams
in one unbroken line. Capt. Wilkes
observes:
" Mere description can give little
idea of the terrors of the bar of the
Columbia; all who have seen it have
spoken of the wildness of the scene,
and the incessant roal of the waters,
representing it as one of the most
fearful sights that can possibly meet
the eye of the sailor. The difficulty
of its channel, the distance OF the
leading sailing marks, their uncer-
tainty to one unacquainted with
them, the want of knowledge of the
strength and direction of the cur
rents, with the necessity OF APP
preaching close to unseen dangers,
the transition from clear to turbid
water, all cause doubt and mistrust.
Under such feelings l must confess
that l felt myself laboring, and al
though l had on board a person
from the Sandwich Islands who pro-
fessed to be u Columbia river pilot, 1
found him at loss to designate the
true passage, and unable to tell
whether we were in a right way or
not. therefore, at once, deter
mined to haul off with the tide, which
was running out with great rapidity,
- ,,nt,i he