Page:Voyages in the Northern Pacific - 1896.djvu/42

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24
ARRIVE OFF COLUMBIA RIVER.

deck, and relieved the helm, but none of the others made their appearance. It being a fine night, I was glad they kept below, as it was my determination to shoot the first man who should attempt to come abaft the gang-way. At daylight we called them one at a time, and secured them in irons. Towards noon, Carpenter requested to be taken out of irons, and to make a confession concerning the mutiny. His deposition was accordingly taken by Captain Robson, and signed by the officers, after which we were obliged to keep him apart from the other prisoners , as they swore they would murder him.

Latitude 39° 14′ north; longitude 134° 39′ west. On the 29th of June, we made Cape Orford, on the coast of New Albion, and on the 6th of July we saw Cape Disappointment, the north point of Columbia River: latitude 46° 19′ north, and longitune 123° 0′ west. We stood close in with the bar, fired a gun, tacked ship in 6½ fathoms dark sand, about half a mile from the breakers. Next day we stood in: the tide setting in strong, and drifting us fast towards the bar, I went to the mast-head to look for a channel, and perceived an Indian canoe paddling towards us. She soon after came alongside, and the natives began talking to us in a language we did not understand; we then lowered the boat down, and I took one of the Indians with me to sound before the ship,—the least water we had was 3½ fathoms on the bar. On rounding Cape Disappointment, an Indian village opened to our view, consisting of about 50 miserable looking huts. The Indians