d on board about mid-day. Messrs. M'Kay
and D. Stuart offered their services to go ashore, to search for the
boat's crew who left on the 22d; but they could not find a place to
land. They saw Indians, who made signs to them to pull round the cape,
but they deemed it more prudent to return to the vessel. Soon after
their return, a gentle breeze sprang up from the westward, we raised
anchor, and approached the entrance of the river. Mr. Aikin was then
despatched in the pinnace, accompanied by John Coles (sail-maker),
Stephen Weeks (armorer), and two Sandwich-islanders; and we followed
under easy sail. Another boat had been sent out before this one, but
the captain judging that she bore too far south, made her a signal to
return. Mr. Aikin not finding less than four fathoms, we followed him
and advanced between the breakers, with a favorable wind, so that we
passed the boat on our starboard, within pistol-shot. We made signs to
her to return on board, but she could not accomplish it; the ebb tide
carried her with such rapidity that in a few minutes we had lost sight
of her amidst the tremendous breakers that surrounded us. It was near
nightfall, the wind began to give way, and the water was so low with the
ebb, that we struck six or seven times with violence: the breakers broke
over the ship and threatened to submerge her. At last we passed from two
and three quarters fathoms of water to seven, where we were obliged to
drop anchor, the wind having entirely failed us. We were far, however,
from being out of danger, and the darkness came to add to the horror of
our situation: our vessel, though at anchor, threatened to be carried
away every moment by the tide; the best bower was let go, and it kept
two men at the wheel to hold her head in the right direction. However,
Providence came to our succor: the flood succeeded to the ebb, and the
wind rising out of the offing, we weighed both anchors, in spite of the
obscurity of the night, and succeeded in gaining a little bay or cove,
formed at the entrance of the river by Cape Disappointment, and called
_Baker's Bay_, where we found a good anchorage. It was about midnight,
and all retired to take a little rest: the crew, above all, had great
need of it. We were fortunate to be in a place of safety, for the wind
rose higher and higher during the rest of the night, and on the morning
of the 25th allowed us to see that this ocean is not always pacific.

Some natives visited us this da