Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-05-15

in the British ships Of war the Discovery and
the Chatham. were despatched from England
+, in 1871, in order to receive from the Spanish
authorities the surrender Of a port at Nootka
+. Sound, under the stipulation Of convention
(aveTting an impending wary made between
the courts in 1890. AS Vancouver was sailing
along the coast towards his port Of destination
on the 9th Of April, 1892, he passed by with
but a careless glance, the cape and seeming
bay, SO einphatically named By Mea.es Disap-
peinfsaent and Deception and puts down, 'snot
considering this opening worthy Of more atten-
ton, continued our course to the northwest"
&c. Two days after, he met The Col
unlba, Capt. Gray, who informed him,
among other matters, ssof his having" in the
words Of Vancouver, s'been off the nouth Of
river, in latitude 40 degrees 10 minutes, when
the outset or reflux was SO strong as to prevent
his entering for nine days" Vancouver pro-
Iceeded nortfward strong in his incrednlity,
while Capt Gray again sought the month of
the river On his way he found and entered
harbor near he 47th degree, to which he
gave the name Of Bulinch's Harbor, iii com
pliment to one of the owners Leaving Bul-
fincile's Harbor on the lltI Of May after few
hours sail he reached The mouth of tie river,
crossed The bar, and found his ship On a broad
and rapid stream, the waters of which were
SO perfectly fresh that the casks Of the ship
were filled within ten miles Of the Pacific
On leaving the river, Capt. Gray bestowed en-
It the name Of his vessel; the Southern port of
land he called Cape Adams, and substi-
tutcd the name Of Cape Hancock for that of
Cape Disappointment. Neither Cape Han
cock nor Cape Adams, have taken an assured
place in the maps; and the name OF Cape Dis
appoint remains,to preserve in remembrance
for time, probably short, the sagaeity of the
sponsor. The name of the good ship, it is not
hard to believe, viii flow with the waters Of
the bold river as long as grass grows CT water
| runs in the valleys Of the Rocky Mountains.
''Sir Robert Peel, in his speech on the sub
lJect. calls frequently that river the Columbia,
and very seldom the Oregon.
"Besides the above brief statement Of the IL
tie of the United States by treaty and prior dis
covery OF The Columbia river, we mus. state
that MIR. John Jacob Astor, of New York, III
! 1910, made a settlement on the Columbia NV
er, for a trade with tho Indians fer peitrles.-
But during the war with ct. Britain, this set
Element which was named Astoria, was taken
by the British and called by them Fort George.
After the return of peace in 1915, demand
was made by MIR. Monroe, Secretary of State,
Ter The surrender Of Astoria, at the mouth otthe
Columbia; but the surrender was effected only
in 1918, bat for reasons not well known, the
American Government did not countenance the
re-occuPation of the place By its founder"
From this rapid outline for the facts Of which
we are indebted to the Augusta Constitutional
ist and Washington Union, and which we
thought well calculated to interest public curl
osityi will be seer, that the title CT the United
States to the most important portion Of Oregon,
whether directly or derived by Treaty from
another nation, is ''clear and questionable"
We sincerely hope, that the light of truth and
experience may dispel the GLOOM hanging O.
yer this subject,and that peace may be preserv-
ed. If England, however, still persists in her
grasping claims, and viii not compromise, with
out a sacrifice of our rights and honor, we hope
that the whole people Of the Union, Of all par
ties. will stand ready to meet their responsible
duties