92 Joseph Schafer obstructed in one or two places by drift wood. From the Cow- litz farm the troops, etc., can descend the river in boats, to the Columbia and proceed to any required position on it, by the same means. At Nesqually I would recommend a block house or defensi- ble guard house, overlooking the Sound, and commanding the road from the landing place, the banks on the shore being too steep to be easily ascended excepting at this point. Any de- scription of works can be thrown up, (such as a bastioned re- doubt) on the large plain near the Sequality stream, with bar- racks, etc., for the accommodation of the troops. Fort Victoria is situated on the southern end of Vancouver's Island in the small harbor of Commusan, [ ?] the entrance to which is rather intricate. The fort is a square enclosure of lOO yards, surrounded by cedar pickets 20 feet in height, having two octagonal bastions, containing each six 6-pd. iron guns, at the N. E. and S. W. angles. The buildings are made of square timber 8 in number forming three sides of an oblong. This tort has lately been established ; it is badly situated witn re- gard to water and position, which latter has been chosen for its agricultural advantages only. About three miles distant and nearly connected by a small inlet, is the Squirrel harbor, which is very commodious and accessible at all times, offer- ing a much better position and having also the advantage of a supply of water in the vicinity. This is the best built of the Company's posts, it requires v loop holing, and a platform or gallery, to enable men to fire over the pickets ; a ditch might be cut round it, but the rock appears on the surface in many places. There is plenty of timber of every description on Vancou- ver's Island, as also limestone, which could be transported to Nesqually or other places in the territory when it may be here- after deemed necessary to form permanent works, barracks, etc. Oregon City is situated on the right bank of the Willamette
River about 21 miles above its junction with the Columbia,----
