Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/113

 and observed the vast flow of fresh water; and within the next thirteen years the place was distinguished on Spanish charts as the mouth of the San Roque. It was examined by Meares, an English navigator, in July, 1788, who, however, reported that no river existed here. Nearly four years later "this opinion of Meares was subscrihed without qualification by Vancouver, after he had examined the coast minutely, under the most favorable conditions of wind and weather, and. notwithstanding the assurance of Cray to the contrary." Thus Greenhow. The actual discovery of the mouth of the river was made May 11. 1792, by Captain Robert Gray, a New England navigator, who says in his log-l>ook, under that date: "Beheld our desired port, bearing east-south-east, a distance of six leagues. At 8 A. M., being a little to the windward of the entrance of the harbor, bore away and ran in east-northeast between the breakers, having from five to seven fathoms of water. When we were over the bar we found this to be a large river of fresh water, up which we steered." Captain Gray remained in the river from the llth to the 20th of May. He ascended it about 25 miles. Meares left as a memento of his failure the name of Cape Disappointment to the promontory on the north side, where the river debouches into the ocean.

Gray, sailing out of the river to the northward, met Vancouver, who had sailed into the Straits of Fuca. and was completing his examination of Puget Sound so-called by Vancouver for a member of his party. Later in the year Vancouver sailed for the Bay of San Francisco, leaving his lieutenant. Broughton, to examine the Columbia River. Broughton. in the Chatham, entered the river in November, 1792. Finding it difficult to ascend the river with his bark, small as it was, he took his launch and made his way up the stream 100 miles. To the ultimate point he reached he trave the name of Vancouver. All the way up and down he sprinkled names plentifully. Walker's Island was named for one of his men. To Tongue Point he gave the name it bears to this day. Young's River and Bay he called for Sir