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2 [[underline]] Estuary of the [[\underline]] [[strikethrough]] Before entering[[\strikethrough]] Outside of the Columbia we find that as usual with all great rivers its influence extends for some distance out to sea and if it is the season of summer floods we may find currents of fresh water some miles off. The two principal channels setting towards the S.W. and N.W. carry out immense quantities of sand and other drifting materials which have formed large deposits near its mouth and have no doubt contributed towards the formation of great banks situated, one off the Straits of De Fuca the other off Coquille River, each about 100 miles distant and in the direction of the two principal channels of the river. Though the river forms no proper delta, there is, no doubt a greater shallowness along this coast than either north or south of it. The currents and waves of the Pacific, which seem to be wearing away the whole western coast and excavating fathomless gulfs in its shores, meet here an opposing force, filling in about as fast as they carry away its deposits. The Coast then bordering upon the Columbia River region has a peculiar configuration which will doubtless be found to influence materially its marine productions when they become better known, and which we even now find causes striking differences. In contrasting them with those of the Gulf of Georgia & its vicinity though in a much lower latitude and also the outlet of such an enormous river with its varied and copious sediment, we [[end page]] [[start page]] 3 [[underline]] Columbia River [[\underline]] do not find its fauna by any means as rich or diversified. There are other causes apparently contributing to this effect, besides the sandy nature of the coast. A The Columbia is very cold at all seasons - the Ice of winter has scarce melted in its northern waters before a flood of snow water from the mountains pours down and keeps it in a state of inundation during the driest and warmest months of Summer - soon after which the autumn rains set in and keep down its temperature during the rest of the year. It is probable that in mild winters the water is warmer than in the middle of summer, though the heat cannot vary much in common seasons throughout the year. The lighter organic deposits also which would supply food for animals are carried far out to sea by the various currents at its mouth. Marine vegetation is rare and little varied in this cool water. A few algae only exist, and only on the few rocks which lie scattered along the sandy beach. Small cod fish are caught here and in July they are often washed up alive in immense numbers on the beach gorged by eating a small kind of herring and their air sack so distended that they cannot sink. Skates are sometimes found dead on the beach, a small shark is abundant and every year some small whales drift ashore, perhaps stranded on the sands. A single Killer was also found in 1855 but besides these I have never seen or heard of any large sea fish in the neighborhood of the mouth of the river. Several small fish are found but none I think of peculiar species.
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Here is a link to the Wiki article on skates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skate_%28fish%29
