Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 22.djvu/274

 possession of this vast and still unacquired region of the basin of the Columbia. For, in international usage or comity, the discovery of a river carried with it at least an inchoate title to the territory drained by that river. The American people had a zealous and an able exponent for promoting their interests in view of this opening made for national expansion. Thomas Jefferson did not let slip an opportunity to follow up this basis for a claim to this part of the continent. With the purchase of Louisiana in 1803 proximity of possession was secured. Then Lewis and Clark were dispatched so that only fourteen years after Gray's presence in the river they were encamped on the south bank. In less than half-a-dozen years later the Astor expedition had established its fort at Astoria. And at the end of another half-a-dozen years in 1818 the restoration of the American flag was acknowledged by our only rival claimant to this domain.

It needs, however, to be noted that this discovery of the Columbia river with the view of extending geographical knowledge, or of laying the basis for the extension of the jurisdiction of his nation's sovereignty, was not the leading motive impelling Captain Gray in his exploit. Just how far it was in evidence in his consciousness it would be hard to say. Nothing of the kind, I believe, figured in his instructions. This is not by any means arguing that the discovery of the Columbia river was an accident. The Columbia was being sailed the third time along this stretch of the coast with the one purpose in mind of finding new inlets affording desired opportunities of new contacts with the Indians that additions might be made to his accumulations of furs for a cargo for the markets of China. John Boit's record of how the vessel in this latitude was kept "beating off the coast waiting for to find a good harbour" and of the practice thus specified: "sent a boat in shore often, but cou'd find no safe harbour," indicate that Gray's determination and skill made the discovery at this time virtually inevitable. Still more closely, negatively, is it possible with the aid of the Boit document to discern Captain Gray's purpose. Mr. Worthington C. Ford's annotation with the original document in hand here comes to our aid. Re-