The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-03-13
BRANDON, Thursday March 10, 1916,
Cape Hancock {; the south Adams

cape Hancock /; Inc south ADAM
Point"
Such are the circumstances of the dis
covery of the Columbia river, The frs
ground on which the United States CLAIM
its ownership. The reply of the Brilisl
Government is that the discovery was &C
tuaIIy made by British Lieutenant
Me0res, four years before.
With regard to this, it seems from au'
thentic history that the opening was frs
seen August l4th, l775, by Capt. Bruno
Heceta, commander of the Spanish shir
Santiago, which had been despatched 10
explore the whole Pacific. He discover.
ed, but did not enter it; though it was laid
down in Spanish maps as the Entrada de
Heceta. Capt John Meares, commander
of the Felice, from Macao, in 1888. sailed
for the express purpose of discovering the
river thus laid down on Spanish charts.
In the accoun, of his voyage. which was
published at London, in 1890 he says he
discovered headIan in latitude AZ deg.
AZ min, which he called Cape Shoalwaler.
Thence sailing south he saw high bluff
promonlory four leagues off, which he
doubled and found large bay as he i'm.
agined, having very promising appear
ance, and into which he sleered with eve
ry encouraging expectation He found,
however, the water growing shallow and
some breakers were seen from the deck
rig hit ahead, and from the mast head they
were observed 10 extend across the bay ;"
he therefore, hauled oul and directed his
course 10 the opposite shore. He gave
the name of Cape DisappOinimen! TO the
promonlory, and to the bay the u,le oil
Deception Bay, in token OF his utter fail
ure in the search for the river. In his
book he says: We can mOao safely as
sert that there IS no such rlrer as that Of
Saint Rouge, EXISTS, as laid do,on IN The
Spanish CHARTS" This is sufficiently de.
carative of his opinion that no such river,
as that now known by the name of the
Columbia, existed.
These are expressions quoted from his
own book; and yet the British pIenipo'
tentiari1s, in their statement in 1926. as
cribe the discovery of the river TO him, aud
say that " he had actually entered the Bay
of the Columbia, 10 The northern headland
of which he gave the name of Cape Dis
appointment name which it bears 10 this
day." and name they might have added,
which effectually destroys the inference
they wish TO draw from the fact. They
are afterwards forced 10 say that, cit mus,
indeed, be admitted, that Mr.. Gray, finding
himself in the bay formed by the discharge
of the waters Of The Columbia into the Pa.
clhc, was first to ascertain that this bay
formed the outlet of great river; a dis
coyery which had escaped Lieutenant
Meares, when in 1888, Two years before,
he entered the same bay"
This narrative seems to establish the
facts, that in IVA the Spanish Heceto
discovered The opening ; that Mr.. Meares
in 1888 discovered the same opening, and
nothing farther, declaring his belief that
no raver existed there; that the British
Capt. Vancouver IN 1892 declared his
concurrence in that opinion and that no
one OF ahv nation, ever saw the Columbia
River urtil i, was discovered by Capt.
Gray, of the Columbia. The owners Of
this ship, as already stated, were seven
of Boston Joseph BArrel',
father OF Geo. Darrell, Esq, now of this
city, Same! Brown, Charles Bulfnch,
who, we believe, is still living in Boston,
John Darby, Cornwall Hatch. and John
NJ. Pintard.
Thus is established the fact that the
Columbia river was discovered by an
citizen and from this fact, it is
contended the U. 8 derive title, sustain
ed BY others, to the ownership of the re-
9 ion drained by that river. We shall,
hereafter, alude TO the other grounds Of
our claim.