Note 153 — OREGON MISSIONS AN OUTLINE SKETCH OF OREGON TERRITORY AND ITS MISSIONS

On the bar of the Columbia River occurred the wreck of the Peacock, one of the vessels attached to the Exploring Expedition. A thrilling account of this event is given in Capt. Wilkes’ Narrative. Of the bar itself he says: “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 roar 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 uncertainty to one unacquainted with them, the want of knowledge of the strength and direction of the currents, with the necessity of approaching close to unseen dangers, the transition from clear to turbid water, all cause doubt and mistrust. Under such feelings, I must confess that I felt myself laboring.”—Vol. iv., p. 293.—Ed. of Catholic Almanac.