The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1891-02-17

Wallan CONSUL at HOrC 1OWnSeDu,
in a long and most interesting con-
tribution to the Seattle Post-Intel-
ligencer gives the history of
two North Pacific cruises of
Capt. Gray, in the first of
which be carried the Amer
lean flag round the world for the
first time, having sailed from Boston
by Cape Horn for the NV. coast,
and thence to Canton, calling at the
Sandwich Islands for refreshments
and provisions. From Canton,
where Capt. Gray sold his furs and
purchased with the proceeds q
cargo of tea, the Columbia returned
to Boston by way of the Cape of
Good Hope, thus completing the
decentralization of the globe.
This priority of discovery of
Gray's harbor, which, however, he
named Bullfnch's, after the chief
of the merchants who fitted out the
expedition, and of the Columbia
River, "gave TO the United States"
says Mr.. Swan, the western EN-
pires of Oregon and Washington,
over which, but for Gray's discov-
cry the British flag would now be
flying, and we would be but
province of Canada, like British
Columbia"
CuriousIy enough, IS Mr.. Swan
quotes from Vancouver's journal,
on the 29th of April the English
navigator discovered sail to the
Westward, standing inshore. This
was a great novelty, not having
seen any vessel but our consort
during the last eight months.
"She soon hoisted American colors
and fired a gun to leeward. AT 6
o'clock we spoke to her. She
proved to be the ship Columbia
commanded by Captain Robert
Gray, belonging to Boston, whence
she had been absent nineteen
months" Vancouver bad then just
recently attempted the entrance to
the river but found the breakers
impossible, and only twelve days
after the meeting of the two ships
Gray ran through the breakers
with all sail set and anchored in
ga large river of fresh water" ten
miles above its mouth. Here he
three days engaged in
trading and filling her casks with |
water and then sailed some four
teen miles up the river along its
northern shore, when he found he !
could go no farther having taken
the wrong channel. During a week |
be made several attempts to get |
out of the river but did not succeed |
until May the 18th. Gray named the
of the southern sand
bank Point Adams and the north
ern Cape Hancock, not knowing
then that the latter had been
named Cape disappointment by
the English Captain Mears, in
,oken of his unsuccessful search for
,he river.
Gray had been long time trad
ng and exploring along the coasts
IF Vancouver's and Queen Char
otte's islands and had built
schooner for the purpose which he
named the Enterprise. On one
occasion when preparing for sea he
vas visited by a couple of chiefs
with a number of their followers
between whom and a Hawaiian
seaman on board Gray thought
here appeared to be some under
he questioned the Ha-
Vaiian who at length informed him
hat the Indians had formed plan
or Selling the vessel, and murder
ng the, crew and had promised to
pare his life and make him chief
f he would aid them by wetting
he printing of all the guns at a
particular time. Thus warned by
he Hawaiian they were on their
,uard and their lives and the vessel
we're saved.
When Gray first returned from
he North West he called, as has
,een stated, at these islands, and
D~ck1, nc |