Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/101



Where Is Point Vancouver? 77

be called scientific was that of Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, Commander of the U. S. Exploring Expedition in 1841, and covered the course of the river from Cape Disappointment inland as far as the mouth of the Yakima river. Commander Wilkes was a guest for some time at Fort Vancouver, and doubtless drew much information from the officers of the Hudson's Bay Ownpany; and his subordinate, Lieutenant Dra)rton, ascended the Columbia in company with Chief Factor Peter Skene Ogden as far as Fort Walla Walla. Mr. Wilkes' map places Point Vancouver a little below Cape Horn, the most prominent landmark on the north side of the river in that vicinity. The officers of the Hudson's Bay Company infrequently mention Point Vancouver in the journals of their travels up and down the Columbia river, and they knew and assigned its proper location. Presumably Mr. Wilkes drew his map from Mr. Dra3rton's report as to the most prominent point of land in the vicinity and the longitude of Vancouver's chart.

Necessary to this discussion is an intelligent knowledge of Lieut. Broughton's movements on Oct. 30th, 1792, and that part of Capt. Vancouver's narrative will now be reproduced verbatim. The night of Oct. 29th-30th was spent by his party <Mi the Oregon shore opposite the lower end of Government island. On the morning of the 30th they returned a mile down stream, crossed the river and proceeded along the north shore :

Oct. 29th. **At the several creek and branches they had passed they lost successively most of their Indian compan- ions, excepting one elderly chief, who, in the most civil and friendly manner had accompanied them from the first, and had a village still further up the river. Having received many presents, he had become much attached to the party, and, to manifest his gratitude, he now went forward to pro- vide them with lodgings, and whatever acceptable refresh- ments his village might afford. About seven in the evening he reached his habitation, where he much wished them to