May 24th [of 1853]. After hard rowing in the hot sun we passed the north end of Vashon’s Island, and reached a place known as New York, on Elliott Bay13, and encamped on a hot sandbar. There is only one house at this point. The scenery of the Sound is not conspicuously marred by civilization, as this is the first house we have seen since we left Steilacoom.
