announce good news did not appear; still we did not lose all hope. Our hearts beat hard: all were divided between hope and fear. By eleven o'clock the little craft came up at last - a mournful silence reigned-all awaited uneasily the word which was to decide our fate. At last the
mate was on board. " About eleven last night," he said to the captain, " we found the passage, which seemed to have not less than five fathoms of water. We did not find any insurmountable obstacles." Immediately all hearts were dilated and all faces cleared up at the same time that the sails of the Infatigable were spread. Under a light breeze, we advanced slowly and cautiously toward the formidable mouth of the Columbia.
It was a most beautiful day - a cloudless sky - a blazing sun, such as we had not seen in a long time - everything seemed to combine for a day of joy and gladness. All we required to make us perfectly happy was to achieve the entrance into the river. As we drew near the redoubtable bar, every one resumed his serious air, holding himself in readiness for whatever might come. The sisters had gone below to recite the chaplet: when they came up again, we were already upon the dreaded bar. The sounders had several times reported seven fathoms-soon six fathoms was heard-after that five-then four and onehalf - presently four, and so it went, always growing less. Each cry was a shock that oppressed our hearts, and at the repeated cry of three fathoms all countenances were visibly discomposed, for that was the vessel's minimum draft: several of us thought that it was all over, that the ship was about to strike: but God only wished to try our faith. " We are between life and death," said the mate to the captain at this time, "but we must go on at any price." Soon the cry of four fathoms caused something of a revival of joy. But of the five miles of the bar we had as yet made only three. Suddenly a cry of "three fathoms " plunged us again into consternation - at the cry of two and one-half fathoms I felt, as it were, annihilated.