Page:All Over Oregon and Washington.djvu/20

 nel among the many islands; but the ship "coming off without any assistance," he dropped down to a better anchoring place.

On the 15th, in the afternoon. Captain Gray, and Mr. Hoskins, the first officer, "went on shore in the jolly-boat, to take a short view of the country." On the 16th, the ship returned to her first position off the Chinook village, and was again surrounded by the canoes of that people. Just as it was seventy-nine years ago, the Chinook village remains to-day—a cluster of huts on the north side of the river; but its people are no longer numerous. It is rare to see a single canoe, where they used to swarm in fleets on this portion of the river.

Captain Gray was thinking of getting to sea again by the 18th; but on standing down the river toward the bar, the wind came light and fluttering, and again the anchor was dropped. He must now decide upon a name for this great stream, which from its volume he knew must come from the heart of the continent. The log of the 19th says: "Fresh and clear weather. Early a number of canoes came alongside: seamen and tradesmen employed in their various departments. Captain Gray gave the river the name of Columbia's River; and the north side of the entrance. Cape Hancock; that on the south side. Point Adams."

On the 20th of May, the ship took up anchor, made sail, and stood down the river, coming, as the following extract will show, near being wrecked: "At two, the wind left us, we being on the bar with a very strong tide, which set on the breakers. It was now not possible to get out without a breeze to shoot her across the tide; so, we were obliged to bring up in three and a half fathoms, the tide running five knots.