, 1860-02-17
WASHINGTON TERRIT0RY,
Historical, Geographical and Statistical.
lcoNrNuEp rnon LAsr NEEK. J

Ts the more daring and active enterprise
Of our own New England traders, are we
indebted for more full aud accurate nc
counts Of the Northwest coast, which rem.
der it m object Of special interest at the
present time.
In the year 1891 several vessels arrived
10 the waters Of the North Pacific ocean,
among which was the Coivm6ia, under the
command Of Cspt Gray, from Boston,
This enterprising adVehturer had before
visited these seas in the years l7s7-S IN
der the direction Of q company of mer-
chants Of that city, formed with view to
participate in the advantage Of the fur
trade OF this region. He then made many
important observations and discoveries, and
extensively unfolded the commercial capa-
bilities and resources Of the country. lie
sailed from Boston on this last expedition
in May 1890, and reached the western
coast OF North America in the year follow
ing, little northward Of Cape Mendecino,
and sailed along the coast owards Nootka.
In about latitude 41o II, Capt. Gray saw
an inlet which ne attempted to enter, but
the outaowi0g current was so strong as to
battle all his efforts TO effect an entrance,
although he spent niue days in endeaVoring
to do SO. He at length pursued bis voyage
noTthEard, and on the 6fth Of June be an-
chored in the harbol Of Clyoquot. From
this point he sailed for Queen Charlotte's
Island, and on the 18th Of August, be OBJ
served an opening under the parallel Of
54to, which be entered and sailed to the
distance Of more than eighty miles in o
northeasterly direction. Tho channel was
discovered to be exceedingly. broad and
deep, and the stream seemed 10 extend far
beyond the distnDce already traversed, in
the same direction. lie returned again TO
Clyoquot without pursuing the adventure
any further, and under the pursuasion that
this was the Rio dc los Royes, represented
as the route through which Admiral Fonte
pursued bis way to the Atlantic in l46O.
This has been since called the Portland
canal trI
Capt. Gray Wintered at Clyoquot, in q
fort6cation which he erected on the shore
and called Fort Defiance. He also here
built aud launched a schooner, which be
called the Eenteyprise, and which was the
rstlAmerican vessel buIlt on these shores.
IR the month Of August Of the same year,
Capt. KeDdrick - who had accompanied
Capt. Gray in his first expedition, and had
remained 10 those seas with the WaSAiRg-
Ton during Gray's return to Boston-was
anchored in Nootka Sound. %. 1-1 q,
II Is singular coincidence, and one
worthy Of note, that the name Of the first
American vessel ever entering the inland
seas Of this Northwest coast, should be the
same as that which, after the lapse oi
nearly lhree-fourths Of q century, was cho-
sen as the name Of the Territory within the
limits Of which a great portion of those
seas are embraced sa ar
Having uFeason to apprehend hostility
from The Spaniards, and supposing that on
opening might exist at the northwestern
extremity Of the harbor, he determined to
make his escape to the sea in that direction.
In this he was successful, and he named the
channel thus discovered Massachusetts
SOnnd.7 He purchased from several Of the
native chiefs, large tracts Of land near
Nootka, which were transferred by deeds
marked by the chiefs, witnessed by several
Of the officers and crew Of the Warrington,
and authenticated by notary at Macaa
Application has subsequently been made to
Congress by the representatives Of the
owners aud captain Of the Washington, to
confirm this title to these lands AfteI
making this purchase, Kendrick sailed fol
the Sandwich Islands. 10 e5 G1
In April, 1872, Capt. Gray sailed from
his winter quarters at Clyoquot, when he
fell in with the English navigator, Vancou
yer, at the entrance of the Straits Of Fuca
He Informed Vancouver that he bad enter
ed an inlet TO the northward, in latitude
54Ao, into which he had sailed as far as
the Ssh deg. Of latitude, without discov.
ering its termination that he had also
stood of the mouth Of river, in latitude
460 TO-, whose current was so strong that
it presented an effectual bar to sentraRca
although he had spent nine days in Tie
effort. Vancouver supposed this to be On
opening which be himself had passed on the
9th Of April, and which be declared was
apparently inaccessible, not from the cur,
rent, but owing to tho breakers which ex
tended across its entrance.
In his narrative, under date Of April 80
1872, Capt. Vancouver says:
I'VE have now explored part Of the
American continent, extending nearly two
hundred and tifeen leagues, under the most
fortunate and favorable circumstances OF
wind and weather. So minutely has this
extensive coast been inspected, that the
surf has been constantly seen to break on
its shores FROM the masthead and it was
but in few small intervals only, where our
distance preeloded its being visible from
the deck. 1t must be considered as a very
singular circumstance, that in so great an
extent Of sea coast, we should not, Hniil
n0sc, bave seen an appearance Of any open
ing in its shores, which presented any GER
tain prospect Of affording shelter the
whole coast forming one compact, solid,
and nearly straight barrier against the sea.
The river mentioned by Capt Gray should,
from the latitude be assigned to it, have
existed in the bay south Of Cape Disap-