The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-12-16

mat IRE could not possibly hare passed anu safe mar
'ga''f opening h~6or, or place efsecuriu for ship
Ptng on this coast from CAPE .NendocinO* 10 III
Pr0Monfo'y # tiaSSet,f MOI had we any reason I,
alter our opinions, Notwithstanding that theo, Ell
cal geogmphers have thought proper to assert ir
that space the existence Of arms of the Ocean
com mnnicating with Mediterranean Sea, and
extensive rirers, with safe and convenient ports >
Now appeal again to the honest OF all nations
whether It could be possible, that Lieutenant
Nearcs, Of the Royal Navy could have prertons.
~ visited every part this coast, Including the
Buy 81 CoiuR6n, into which the spurious cx-
| tracts OF his ing-buok, referred to BY the pcni-
| PotentarI's, "tlprf'siy state that he stuffed" And
"helher tie could have, in 1888, made any such
| Design OF the entrance so the straits OF Fuca
the existence ofwhich Captain Vancouver treats
as being fabulous. That Captain Vancouver
'ln seen Mcares' book published in LONDON,
l'9o. is highly prohable il not certain, for he
refers TO disappointment" the name bestowed
by McarcS upon the Cape, in consequence of his
having been disappointed in finding the San
Rogue, the Columba.) What opinion then
must he formed of the line Of conduct of the Brit
ISh Government, tthcy persist in their endcavor
| TO u re away from the people of the United
states the Territory Of Oregon, upon such dis
hon rable grounds as these spurious extracts and
antidated designs?
But we must letnrnto Captain GRAY. On the
lti OF May, the ship Columbia was opposite to
the "Dercpon Bay" of lieutenant Menres and
immediately South of his "Cape Dspppont-
ment, at the very spot where captain Nancou-
yer was hto' oughiy convinced there nras no riper.
he breakers extending across the bay, present.
Gu as usual formidable appearance; but the
g"i'hht Yankee, nothing daunt,i, dashed for
ward, and soon found hirnSclfe on the broad bu-
som OF the Columbia; the eaters of which were
so fresh, that the casks of the ship were filled
within ten miles of the Pacific Ocean On the
I4th, he assembled that river twenty miles from
lis mouth; anchored landed, and traded with the
natives until the 18th On the Goth, he descend
ed the river, passed the breakers and entered the
Pacific Oceln Captain GRAY gave the name Of
ms ship ('thc tolumb'a") to the river. The
'ape al the Southern side, he called Adam - |
and Hancock" was substituted for "Dlsappoinl-
ment''t
OF the merit of tbs discovery, no power on
ealth can deprive Captain GRAY Even were
might TO overcome right and the Americans to
be deprived OF the Territory, poscrly would do
justice to this bold and entcrprrsing Am, rcan /
he United States has no knighiI,ood to confer
upon him; but his name shall descend to after
times IGNORED; not so with Sir Francis brakes
At Nootka Sound, Captain Vancouver was
informed the PARTICULARS of Captain Gray's
successes, and received from the Sppn,-h Com
missioner, Qnadra, copies of Grly's charts and
descriptions: which had been obtained from Gray
In the following October Vancouver went again
IN search OF the Columbia River, and this time he
Jo"hd u. Now mark, my countrvmcn, how in
genously lie endcayors to deprive Captain Gray
of his fame.
1.-The portion ofthc Columbia River near the
sea tsavs Nancouvcrl WAS found hv CAPTAIN
hr"nghton, (whe he sent in to make cApera-
hois, TO be about Sc en- miles IN width its depth
varied from two tatIopus to eight, aud it wa
crossed In every direction, isy shoals which must
always render the navigation difficult even hv
small vessels. Higher up, the stream became
narrower, at the distance OF twent, five miles i,s
breadth did not exceed 1000 Yards" From these
circumstances. Vancouver contends that the
true entrance n the Rirsr was at That po;nt: and
hcncr, that as Captain Gray had proceeded only
twenty miles, lie had not discovered the Column
Ola River blush for human nature as | re-
cord such sophistrr. Shame upon such unbe-
coming envy and nncharitableness From the
POINT above mentioned to the ocean is not the
h'rer," but IAN inlet" or "Soundn (savs Van
convert will not Insult the understanding of
my readers by making any comments upon this
(Pre'cndcd) distinction
Such is the impartial history of the discorrrp Of
we Columbia Rrer, upon the merits of which |
Tile impartial will decide according to the die |
yates OF truth and RIGHr
Let JUSTICE be done,
Though the heavens shall fall"