The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-03-05

reached the mouth Of the river, dashed
through the breakers which extended en-
tirely across the bay, and soon found
himself on a broad and rapid river the
water of which was so fresh that, ten
miles from the Pacific, he filled his casks
with it. On the 18th he assembled the
river twenty miles, where he anchored,
repaired and traded with the natives On
the 10Th, he left the harbor and again
passed into the ocean. All these incidents
are infinitely noted in the Columbia's log
book and under date of May 10Th, we
had the entry. Capt. Gray gave this river
the name of Columbia Ricfr, and the
north side of the entrance Cape Hancock :;
the south Adams Point"
Such are the circumstances of the dis
ccccry Of the Columbia rircr, the fist
ground on which the United States claim
its ownership. The reply of the British
Government is that the discovery was
actually made by British Lieutenant,
Mcares, four years before
Nth regard to this, it seems from au-
thentic history, that the opening was first
seen August 18th, I775, by Capt. Bruno
Heceta, commander Of the Spanish ship
Santiago, which had been despatched to
explore the whole Pacific He discover
cd, but did not enter it thought was
laid down in Spanish maps as the ERtra-
da de Hcceta. Capt. John Meares, COM
mander ofthe FeIice, from Macao, il
1888, sailed for the express purpose Of
DISCOVERING the rirer thus laid down on
Spanish charts. In the account Of hi,
voyage, which was published at London,
in 1850 he says he discovered headland
in latitude 46 deg. n min. which he
called Cape Shoalwater. Thence sailing
south he saw high bluff promonotory
four leagues off, which he doubled and
found large bay as he imagined. having
very promising appearance, and into.
which he steesed with every encouraging
expectation" He found, however, the
water growing shallow and some "break-
ers were seen from the deck right ahead,
and from the masthead they were cb-
served to extend across the bay" he
therefore, hauled out and directed his
course 10 the opposite shore. He gave
the name of Cape Disappointment to the
promoItory, and TO the bay the title of
Deception Bay, in token of his utter fail
ure in the search for the river In his
book he says: I'VE can no,o safely assert
that there is no suok rirer as that of Saint
Rogue, crisis, as laid dozen in the Spanish
charts" This is sufficiently declarative
of his opinion that no such river, as that
now known by the name ofthe Columbia,
existed.
These are expressions quoted from his
own book and yet the British plenipo-
tentiaries, in their statement in 1926, as
cribe the discovery Of the river TO him, and
say that che had actu ally entered the Bay
of the Columbia, to the northhrn head
land of which he gave the name Of Cape
Disappointment name which it bears TO
this day." and Il name, they might have
added, which efiectually destroys the in
ference they wish to draw from the fact.
They are afterwards forced to say that,
sit must, indeed, be admitted, that Mr..
GRAY, finding himselfin the bag formed
by the discharge of the waters of the
Columbia into the Pacific, VaS first TO as.
certain that this bag formed the OutLct of a
great riyer discovery which had es-
capped Lieutenant Mearcs, when in 17SS,
two years before, he entered the same
bay"
This narrative seems TO establish the
facts, that in I715 the Spanish Heceta dis
covered the op-ning that Mr.. Meares in
1873 discovered the same opening, and
nothing farther, declaring his belief that
no rirer eriSted thcrc; that the British
Capt. Vancouver in 1892 declared his
concurrence in that opinion; and that
no one Of any nation, orer sGo the Column
5ia RiUer until 1t icas discorerd By Capt.
Gray, of TIE Columbia. The owners Of
this ship, as already stated, were seven
merchants Of Boston Joseph Darrell,
father ofGeo. Darrell, Esq, now Of this
city, Samuel Brown, Charles Bulinch,
who, we believe, is still living in Boston,
John Darby, Cornwall Hatch, and John
NJ. Pintsrd
THUS is established the fact that the
Columbia river was discovered by an
American citizen; and from this fact, it
is contended the L. s. derive title, sus-
tanned by others, TO the ownership ofthe
region drained by that river. We shall,
hereafter, allude to the other grounds of