*Extracts from the Affidavit of James S. Lawson.[85]

I, James S. Lawson, Assistant United States Coast Survey, and at present a resident of Olympia, County of Thurston, and Territory of Washington, do solemnly declare upon oath, that I am a native-born citizen of the United States, aged forty-four years; that I came to the Western coast of the United States in June, 1850, in the coast survey, and have been engaged in the same from that time to the present, in all capacities from aid to assistant in charge of a party. From 1852 to 1859, both inclusive, I spent each working season in the surveys of straits of Juan de Fuca, Canal de Haro, Rosario Straits, Gulf of Georgia to forty-ninth parallel of North latitude, and Admiralty Inlet, and since 1866 I have been permanently located in this section, with a residence at Olympia.Affidavits on the canal de Haro.

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From several years of such experience and service, I assert the great superiority of the Canal de Haro over the Rosario Strait as a Ship-Channel or Channel of any character, depth of water, width, directness, and freedom from obstructions, rocks, &c. The currents are strong in both, but as a ship-channel the Haro Canal is decidedly superior.

While working in the Gulf of Georgia in 1858 and 1859, vessels bound from Victoria to Fraser’s River, Nanaimo, or farther north, invariably [Page 166] made use of Canal de Haro; in fact I have never heard of a single instance of a vessel sailing from Victoria since 1852, when I came to this section, and bound for any of the above-mentioned places, making use of Rosario Strait. My experience has shown that the Indians of the Northwest Coast always made use of the Canal de Haro, oh their visits to Victoria and returning.

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JAS. S. LAWSON.
Before me, Joseph H. Houghton, Clerk of the Supreme Court of said Territory, came James S. Lawson, who, being first duly sworn, did depose and say, that he had carefully read the foregoing statement, and knew the contents thereof; that the same had been dictated by him; and that so much thereof as was stated from *his own knowledge was true, and so much thereof as was stated on information he verily believes to be true.[86]Affidavits on the canal de Haro.

[seal of the sup. court.]
JOSEPH H. HOUGHTON, Cleric Supreme Court, Washington Territory.