The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-30
NEW DUNGENEss CENTENNIAL.
Captain Vancouver discovered AND
Named the Spot ApriI 30, 1892.

Captain Vancouver discovered and
Named the Spot April so. 1592.
The people of New Dungeness are today
celebrating the centennial anniversary of
the discovery and naming OF the bay by
Captain George Vancouver, April 30, 1892
In his narrative Vancouver thus describes
the event:
The evening of April %, 1872, brought Us to an
anchor in very thick, rainy weather, about eight
miles within the entrance on the southern shore
OF the Straits of Fuca The following morning,
Monday, the 30th, a gentle breeze spraug up
from the northwest, attended with clear and
pleasant weather, which presented to our view
this renowned inlet It's southern shores were
seen to extend, by compass, from n. IS W. to E.,
the former being the small island we had passed
the preceding afternoon, which, lying about
half a mile from the mainland, was
about four miles distant from US. We weighed
anchor with q favorable wind and steered
TO the east along the southern shore, at the dis
tance of about two miles The shores on each
side the straits are Of moderate height, and the
delightful serenity OF the weather permitted our
seeing this inlet to great advantage. The shores
on the south side are composed of low sandy
cliffs, falling perpendieularly on beaches of
sand or stone& From the top Of these eminences
the land appeared to take a further gentle,
moderate ascent, and was entirely covered with
trees, chiefly of the pine tribe, until the forest
reached a range of high, cragsy mountains, which
seemed to rise from the woodland country in a
very abrupt manner, with a few scattered trees
on their sterile sides, and their submits covered
with snow. The northern shore did not appear
quite so high; il rose more gradually from the
seaside to the top OF the mountains, which had
the appearance of compact range, infinitely
more uniform and much less covered with snow
than those ON the southern side.
As the day advanced the wind. which Al we'll
a. the weather was delightfully."- pleasant aecel-
Grated our progress along the shore. This
seemed to indicate speedy termination to the
inlet; as high land now began to appear just
rising from that horizon which, a few hours be.
fore, We had considered to be unlimited. Every
new appearance, as We proceeded, furnished
new conjecture; the whole not vsibly con-
nected, it might form q cluster of islands sepa-
rated by large arms of the sea, or be united by
land not sufficiently high to be yet diseernible
About in the afternoon a long, low, sandy
point OF land was observed projecting
from the craggy shores into the
sea, behind which was seen the
to the southeast of il an opening in the land,
promising a safe and extensive port About
this time very high, conspicuous. crsggy
mountain presented itself, towering above the
clouds; as low down as they allowed it to be
visible il was covered with snow; and south OF
Oh IL was long riuge OF very rugged snowy
mountains, much less elevated, which seemed
to stretch to a considerable distance.
As my intention was to anchor for the night
under the low point, The necessary signals were
made to the Chatham; and at We hauled round
il, at a distance OF about a mile This was,
however too near, as we soon found ourselves
in three fathoms water; but on steering about
half q mile to the north the depth increased to
ten fathoms. and we rounded the shallow spit,
which, though not very conspicuous, is shown
by the tide causing considerable ripping over
it Having turned up q little way into
the bay, We anchored on a bottom OF
soft sand and mud in fourteen fathoms
water. The low, sandy point of land, from its
great esembance to Dungeness in the British
channel, called New Dungeness From this
station the shores bore the same appearance as
those We had passed III the morning, composing
one entire forest. The snowy mountains of the
inland country were, however, neither SO high
nor so rugged, and were further removed from
the seashore. The high distant land formed,
as already observed. like detached mountains,
among which the lofty mountain discovered in
the afternoon by the third lieutenant and in
compliment to him called by me Mount Baker,
rose very conspicuous object, apparently at a
very remote distance. A small Indian village
was near Us on the south side of the bay, but we
had not yet besn visited by any of the in
habitants.
TACOMA, April 29.-lSpecial- 1.-The CEN
tennial anniversary of the discovery of
Puget sound vas observed in the public
schools by addresses by Eiwood Evans
and ex-Judge Wickersham and the re-
counting of the events resulting from the
discovery.