The S.S.Beaver sails to the Columbia River

Fort George [Astoria] where James Birnie spent many years in the service of the HBC. Image from Library and Archives Canada, number C-040856, and used with their permission.

In 1836, the S.S. Beaver sails east from the Sandwich Islands to the mouth of the Columbia River and, eventually, Fort Vancouver, the HBC headquarters on the Pacific Slopes. Here is the continuation of her journey, from the scraps of the journal we now have.

From my last week’s post in this series, I ended the story with this entry from the Log of the Beaver: “February 26. Mr. [Charles] Dodd, 2nd officer, exchanged with Mr. [George] Prattent of the Columbia, by permission of Captain Home and Captain [William] Darby. At 11 am weighed anchor.” The Beaver has begun the last leg of her journey. The log continues below, as the two ships set their sails for the mouth of the Columbia River:

Fresh N.E. trades. Island of Woahoo bearing N by E 1/2 E.

February 27. East wind at noon, a S.E. squall with thunder and lightning jibed the main boom and carried away the gaff. 

February 28. Squally weather. Columbia [the ship] W; answered her light. Weather too unsettled to read prayers. Longitude, 155 degrees, 41′ [West]. Latitude, 45 degrees, 16′ [North]. 

March 3. N.N.W. breeze carried away the main gaff. At 9 am signalled the Columbia for her carpenter, who came on board at 10 to assist in making a main gaff.

The carpenter would be making the boom: that is, the lengths of wood at top and bottom of the gaff sails. The squall had jibed the main boom, which means it blew the boom from one side of the ship to the other — a dangerous action that can get people killed if they are struck by the boom! I am presuming this gust of wind also carried away the gaff sail, which is a square sail with a small boom at the top, and a larger boom at the bottom. She was schooner rigged, which meant she had two masts, with the smaller or shorter mast at the front of the ship, and the taller mast at the rear (the opposite of a ketch, which has the taller mast at the front and the smaller at the rear). I used to sail in a gaff-rigged ketch, but I can’t remember the names of the sails anymore! I would say, however, that the image of the ship in the bottle that I used in the other posts is close to how the Beaver was rigged. But before my brain gets too addled sorting this out, let’s continue the journey:   

March 4. Light breeze ES.E. Shortened sail to keep in company with the Columbia. Columbia’s boat left at 8.10 pm. Set all sails on the larboard [port] tack. 

March 5. Moderate S.E. breeze. Columbia N.E. 1/2 North. Longitude, 143 degrees, 31′ [West]. Latitude, 33 degrees, 28′ [North]. [I see I have erred in some of my posts: Minutes of Longitude/Latitude should be marked with an ‘, while seconds are indicated by a “. Oh, well!]

March 9. Light S.E. winds with squalls. Shortened sail and hove to for Columbia‘s boat. People employed cleaning arms. Longitude, 135 degrees, 8′ [West]. Latitude 39 degrees, 6’ [North]. 

March 13. Moderate breeze with hail from N.W. Shortened sail for the Columbia. Longitude, 125 degrees, 31′ [West]. Latitude, 44 degrees, 41′ [West}.

March 14. Moderate breeze and squally from north. Out anchors and bent cable at 2.15 am. Observed land ahead, bearing from N.N.E to E. by S. The Columbia not in sight. Longitude, 126 degrees, 16′ [North]. Latitude 44 degrees, 41′ [West].

March 15. Strong wind from N.W. Fired rockets for the Columbia. Observed land bearing from E to N.N.E. Longitude, 124 degrees, 41′ [North]. Latitude 45 degrees, 35′ [West].

March 16. Light breeze W.N.W. Observed Cape Disappointment N by E at 5.30 pm; Cape Low N by E; Point Adams N by 3 1/4 E, distant 8 or 9 leagues; Bluff Point N.E. 1/2 N.E. Light variable airs. Tacked ship at 11.30, fired two guns. Bearings at noon, Cape Disappointment N 1/2 E; Point Adams N.E. by E; Chinook Point N.N.E 1/2 E.

Cape Disappointment is the point at the north side of the Columbia River at Longitude, 46.2898 degrees North, and Latitude, 124.0604 degrees West. Chinook Point was just north of Cape Disappointment. Point Adams is the name of the spit that juts out on the south side of the Columbia: it was named by Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s, and that name adopted by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, of the United States Exploring Expedition, in the 1840s.

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Clearly, the steamer Beaver is now at the mouth of the Columbia River, but I am not too sure the Columbia is even in sight. We will find out in the next few log entries!

March 18. Calm and clear weather, N.W. At 4.10 [am?] hove to with head to westward, strong tide setting to the north. At 3 pm stood in for the bar, sounding every five minutes. Cape [Disappointment] bearing E.N.E.

March 19. Stood in for the Columbia River bar with the wind from N.W. At 2 a canoe came alongside with Natives. At 6 pm wind variable and strong ebb tide; 7.30 anchored in 7 fathoms with 40 fathoms chain. Bearings: Point Ellis E. by N; Cape Disappointment N. by E; at 8.30 [pm?]. Flood tide made with a fresh breeze from the S.E.. 7 am, Mr. Heath, chief mate of the Ganymede came on board, also the Governor of Fort George. At 9 weighed anchor and made all possible sail; at 10.50 shortened sail an came to anchor in Baker’s Bay in 5 fathoms of water. 

The Beaver has crossed the bar! 

Baker’s Bay is inside the mouth of the Columbia River, close to Fort George [Astoria]. Mr. William Heath was indeed the 2nd mate of the barque, Ganymede, in 1832-33 (when Dr. William Fraser Tolmie, who will be mentioned later, was a passenger). After that Heath was 1st mate on the schooner, Vancouver, to 1835; and then 1st Mate of the Ganymede, 1835-1836. The Ganymede must be anchored in Baker’s Bay, on her way to England where she is to be sold. She is reported to have left the Columbia River on May 3, 1836: a month or more seems to be a long time for her to be anchored in Baker’s Bay. A puzzle. Maybe she returned to Fort Vancouver after the Beaver had arrived there, and was not mentioned in the parts of the Log that still exist.

Also, “the Governor of Fort George” visited the ship. Does the Columbia log state the man’s name, by any chance? I ask this, because this could be my great-great-grandfather, James Birnie. From the Fort Simpson post journals I have the information that James Birnie and his family sailed away from that northwest coast fort on the Cadboro, on February 26th, 1836, as did Dr. William Fraser Tolmie. From the the Log of the Beaver I learn that the Cadboro was anchored off Fort Vancouver when the Beaver and the Columbia finally reached that place on April 10, 1836. So, when the Beaver reached Fort Vancouver, both James Birnie and Doctor William Fraser Tolmie were already there, and Tolmie had the job of being surgeon, as well as clerk of the Fort Vancouver Indian trade. 

Who was “the Governor of Fort George” mentioned by Captain David Home? In 1836 James Birnie took over Fort George from… John Dunn, perhaps? [P.S. Ogden says he was on the Northwest coast.] Was Birnie already at Fort George, and was he the first HBC man to greet the two ships? Or was it John McLoughlin who came downriver to greet the Beaver and the Columbia — if so, how would have known that they were just outside the river mouth? The crew of the Cadboro could have spotted the two ships outside the river mouth, and on its arrival at Fort Vancouver, the Captain could have told Chief Factor McLoughlin they were there. 

The latter possibility is, I think, unlikely. I think “the Governor” who greeted the two ships was James Birnie himself, already on duty at his new posting. There is, however, no way I can prove that! Certainly, he never said it happened that way. 

I noticed that Heath was on the schooner Vancouver. I wonder if he was: the dates do not jibe and he isn’t listed in the ship’s crew. But anyway, his Vancouver is certainly not the sister ship to the Columbia that is sailing to Fort Vancouver in 1835-1836! This was the schooner, Vancouver, built rather badly at Fort Vancouver in 1826, and she ran aground on Rose Spit, Queen Charlotte Islands (now Haida Gwaii) in March, 1834. The crew feared attacks from the local Haida and abandoned her, rowing to Fort Simpson in the ship’s boats. However, the Vancouver floated herself off the spit, and the Haida found her and stripped her of everything of value. I am amused to find that the captain of the Vancouver at this time was Captain Alexander Duncan, who I have told you often was a superb sailor! Oops! (But maybe he was not responsible for the grounding of the ship).

So, let’s get the Columbia across the dangerous Columbia River bar!

Sunday, March 20. Moderate breeze from S.E. Columbia off the bar at 3 pm. Hoisted a Union Jack on Cape Disappointment for the Columbia. 

March 21. Moderate breeze from S.E. Columbia in the offing.

March 22. Columbia came in at 9.30 am and anchored ahead of us.

March 24. At 1 pm weighed anchor and made all sail possible on a wind up the river. At 3 pm anchored in 3 fathoms water off the red bluff. At 4.30 weighed and made sail down the river. Finding we were too near the sandbank at 6.30 anchored in 7 fathoms of water. Fort George, S.E. by S. Tongue Point, E. Red Bluff, N by W.

On March 25, Alexander Lattie arrived from Fort Vancouver to pilot the Beaver up the Columbia River. It was slow going. On March 26 the Beaver was anchored in 7 fathoms of water below Pillar Rock. “Observing the Columbia onshore, sent a boat. At 5 pm the Columbia hove off and is now in company.” On March 27, they got underway at 1 pm, and proceeded up the river with the wind from the west. “At 5 pm, not being able to stem the ebb, brought up in ten fathoms. Three Tree Point southwest 1/2 W 2 miles. Off shore quarter of a mile.” 

The Beaver is, of course, sailing up the Columbia River against the current, sometimes with the ebb tide, sometimes with a flooding tide from the Pacific Ocean. The flooding tide would push them upriver, but the ebbing tide would drag them downriver. On this river the wind generally came from the west, but not always!  On March 28, it was calm with rain, but at 4 pm “got under way with the wind from the south and proceeded up the river. At 5.30 pm, not being able to stem the ebb, anchored in 9 fathoms between Orchards River and the lower end of Puget Island, the Columbia in company.” On March 29 it was again “Calm with rain. At 8 am got under way with the flood and light breeze from the S.E., falling calm, down boats and towed around the lower end of Puget Island (south channel). 1 pm, flood being done, anchored in 5 fathoms about 2 miles up the channel. At 2.30 pm a breeze sprung up from the west; up anchor and made sail. At 4 pm, not having sufficient wind to stem the ebb, let go a kedge. At 5 pm the wind shifted to the east; up kedge and anchored in 5 fathoms. Columbia in company.”

On March 30 the Beaver made some progress up the Columbia River, but the day ended “thick and foggy with rain.” The next day the wind came from the east, with rain, and on April 1st the wind was E.S.E. with heavy rain. No one was going anywhere! But on April 2, the Beaver got underway with a light breeze from the N.W. At noon they dropped a kedge; at 12.30 they lifted it again with a light breeze from the S.W. and heavy rain. They sent boats ahead to tow the ships up the river, and at 5 pm, when the flood tide was finished, they anchored in 9 fathoms of water abreast of Gull Island. The next day they ended their travel 2 miles below Walker’s Island. At 4pm they “observed the Columbia aground and sent a boat to assist.” The Columbia got herself free at 4 am, but the wind was from the east and the rain was falling, and no one was going anywhere. This weather continued, and on the Beaver the crew was “employed cleaning out forehold. Columbia in company.”

On April 6 a light breeze from the west drove the Beaver up the Columbia River for a while, but she had to anchor early when the wind died. This stop-and-start sailing continued for several more days — on April 9 the Beaver and Columbia anchored below Coffin Rock — a First Nations burial place where bodies were placed in canoes which were then hung in the trees. It was obviously a sacred place and the HBC men never touched it, but other visitors occasionally ransacked the “coffins” for skulls and other objects of interest. (John Kirk Townsend was one of these men).  

Then, on April 10:

At 4.30 pm weighed with a light breeze from the west. At 6.30 rounded Parting Point; fired two guns. At 7.30 came to abreast of Fort Vancouver, in 9 fathoms. found lying here the Honorable H.B.schooner Cadboro. Columbia still in company.

The Beaver and the Columbia have arrived at Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia River. 

Now, how many of you knew that the Point of land just west of Fort Vancouver, around the corner of which the ships disappeared as they were heading towards the ocean, was called “Parting Point?”

At Fort Vancouver, the Columbia and the Beaver unloaded their cargoes, and on May 16 the Beaver began the operation of mounting her paddle wheels. At 4 pm the engineers got up a head of steam and tried the engines, which were found to work well. The Beaver steamed up the Columbia River to load herself up with firewood, and later in the day her 9-pound long gun was off-loaded from the Columbia. On May 23, the crew “received a party of gentlemen on board and ran up to the sawmill and back to the lower part of Menzies Island.” On May 31 “a party of ladies and gentlemen from the fort came on board,” and they toured the river all the way down to the Willamette. 

Who would have been on these two tours up or down the Columbia River? Chief Factor John McLoughlin would have been there, and James Birnie, if he was not already at Fort George. Dr. William Fraser Tolmie was there, as was James Douglas, Alexander Lattie, Duncan Finlayson, and George Traill Allan. In his letter (see below), P.S. Ogden also lists Robert Cowie, Thomas McKay, and a young man named McLean, whose father died at Red River. And the Reverend Herbert Beaver was there! Oh, my! (See note below) Other visitors to the Columbia River headquarters of Fort Vancouver, who may have been on the Beaver, were John Kirk Townsend, naturalist, and his companion,Thomas Nuttall; Karl Andreas Geyer, and two or three other naturalists, rockhounds, or botanists who remain unnamed, at least by me. Pierre Pambrun is known to have ridden on the Beaver after her arrival on the Columbia River; he was at Fort Nez Perces for the first rides. But when the  HBC Brigades came into Fort Vancouver in June, he would have his turn, alongside Archibald McDonald and Peter Skene Ogden. It was Ogden who reported on his ride wrote to John McLeod Sr. on his return to Fort St. James:

When at Vancouver last summer I saw our Steam Boat and made a sort trip in her. She cost fifteen thousand pounds but our commerce will soon repay us, at all events [we] will have a decided advantage over our opponents again… 

I think I am probably finished with the Steamer Beaver, delightful as this journey has been. To return to the beginning of this set of posts, go here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/steamship-beaver/ 

Copyright, Nancy Marguerite Anderson, 2024. All rights reserved.

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