^, 
 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 ??•: 
 
 <>.**^^ 
 
 z 
 
 />%^ 
 <^^ 
 
 1.0 
 
 1.1 
 
 Li|2j8 |25 
 ■tt lU |22 
 
 S; L£ 12.0 
 
 M 
 
 
 1.25 1 1.4 III 1.6 
 
 — 111== imi^^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 6" 
 
 ► 
 
 V] 
 
 VI 
 
 "^ 
 
 
 y 
 
 y^ 
 
 HiotDgrapiiic 
 
 Sdences 
 
 Corporation 
 
 ^3 VIST MAIN STREiY 
 
 WHSTIR.N.Y. I4SM 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
 ^>' 
 
 '^ 
 
CIHM/ICMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Series. 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 Collection de 
 microfiches. 
 
 Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 
 
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques 
 
 The Institute has attempted to obtain the best 
 original copy available for filming. Features o' this 
 copy which may be bibliographically unique, 
 which may alter any of the images in the 
 reproduction, or which may significantly change 
 the usual method of filming, are checked below. 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 \/ 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 D 
 
 Coloured covers/ 
 Couverture de couleur 
 
 I I Covers damaged/ 
 
 Couverture endommag6e 
 
 Covers restored and/or laminated/ 
 Couverture restaur^ et/ou peilicuiie 
 
 I I Cover title missing/ 
 
 Le titre de couverture manque 
 
 Coloured maps/ 
 
 Cartes g6ographiques en couleur 
 
 □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ 
 Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) 
 
 □ Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ 
 Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur 
 
 Bound with other material/ 
 Reiid avec d'autres documents 
 
 Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion 
 along interior margin/ 
 
 Lareliure serr6e peut causer de I'ombre ou ds la 
 distortion le long ^a la marge int6rleure 
 
 Blank leaves added during restoration may 
 appear within the text. Whenever possible, these 
 have been omitted from filming/ 
 II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es 
 lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, 
 mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont 
 pas 6t6 film^es. 
 
 Additional comments:/ 
 Commentalres suppl6mentaires: 
 
 L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire 
 qu'il lui a it6 possible de se procurer. Les details 
 de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du 
 point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier 
 une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une 
 modification dans la m6thode normala de fllmage 
 sont indiqute ci-dessous. 
 
 I I Coloured pages/ 
 
 D 
 
 Pages de couleur 
 
 Pages damaged/ 
 Pages endommag^es 
 
 I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ 
 
 1/ 
 
 D 
 
 Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es 
 
 Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ 
 Pages d6color6es, tachet^es ou piqudes 
 
 □ Pages detached/ 
 Pages ddtachdes 
 
 Showthrough/ 
 Transparence 
 
 I I Quality of print varies/ 
 
 Quality in6gale de I'impression 
 
 Includes supplementary material/ 
 Comprend du materiel suppiimentaire 
 
 Only edition available/ 
 Seule Edition disponible 
 
 Tl 
 tc 
 
 Tl 
 
 P 
 o 
 
 fi 
 
 
 bi 
 tf 
 
 si 
 
 01 
 fi 
 si 
 
 01 
 
 Tl 
 si 
 Tl 
 w 
 
 M 
 di 
 ei 
 b4 
 
 ri| 
 ra 
 m 
 
 Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata 
 slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to 
 ensure the best possible image/ 
 Les pages totalenent ou partiellement 
 obscurcies par un feuillet d errata, une pelure, 
 etc., ont 6t6 filmdes d nouveau de fagon d 
 obtenir la meilleure image possible. 
 
 This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ 
 
 Ce docurvient est film6 au taux de rMuction indiqu6 ci-dessous. 
 
 10X 
 
 14X 
 
 18X 
 
 22X 
 
 7 
 
 12X 
 
 16X 
 
 20X 
 
 26X 
 
 30X 
 
 24X 
 
 28X 
 
 n 
 
 32X 
 
tails 
 
 odifier 
 une 
 mage 
 
 Th« copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks 
 to the generosity of: 
 
 Library Division 
 
 Provincial Archives of British Columbia 
 
 The images eppearing here are the best quality 
 possible considering the condition and legibility 
 of the original copy and in keeping with the 
 filming contract specifications. 
 
 Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed 
 beginning with the front cover and ending on 
 the last pee* with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All 
 other original copies are filmed beginning on the 
 first pege with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, and ending on the last page with a printed 
 or illustrated impression. 
 
 The last recorded frame on each microfiche 
 shall contain the symbol — ^- (meaning "CON- 
 TINUED "). or the symbol V (meaning "END"), 
 whichever applies. 
 
 Meps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at 
 different reduction ratios. Those too large to be 
 entirely included in one exposure are filmed 
 beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to 
 right and top to bottom, as many frames as 
 required. Th« following diagrams illustrate the 
 method: 
 
 L'exemplaire film* f ut reproduit grice A la 
 ginArositA de: 
 
 Library Division 
 
 Provincial Archives of British Columbia 
 
 Lee images suivantes ont 4t* reproduites evec le 
 plus grend soin. compte tenu de la condition et 
 de la nettet* de rexempleire film*, et ^n 
 conformity evec l:.s conditions du contrst de 
 filmage. 
 
 Les oxemplaires originaux dont la couverture en 
 papier est imprim^e sont fiimAs en commen^ant 
 par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la 
 derniire pege qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration. soit par le second 
 plat, selon le ces Tous les autres exempleires 
 originaux sont filmte en commen^ant par la 
 premiAre pege qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustrotion et en terminant per 
 la derniire pege qui comporte une telle 
 empreinte. 
 
 Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la 
 derniAra image de cheque microfiche, selon le 
 cas: le symbols — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE '. le 
 symbols V signifie "FIN". 
 
 Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Afe 
 film As A des taux de reduction diffArents. 
 Lorsque le document est trop grand pour hum 
 reproduit en un seul clicitA. il est film* A partir 
 de ('angle supArieur gauche, do geuche A droite, 
 et de heut en bes, en prenant le nombre 
 d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants 
 illustrert la mAthode. 
 
 rrata 
 :o 
 
 pelure, 
 id 
 
 □ 
 
 32X 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
472 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA A AD 
 
 As for Sfjuire Chapman, it a])pcareci 
 uncertain whether he knew that Abner 
 was gone. He appeared to consider his 
 place just as emjjty before he went as it 
 was afterwards. What he himself had set 
 up, he alone could pull down. That 
 
 axiom was unquestioned in his own mind. 
 He took it for granted that the graven 
 image, which he himself had set up and 
 pulled down, was broken to pieces in the 
 fall, and did not trouble himself as to 
 what became of the fragments. 
 
 ■ » » • » » 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA AND THE DISCOVERY OF 
 
 OREGON. 
 
 By Edwani G. Porter. 
 I. The First V(jvaue. 
 
 EW ships, if any, in 
 our merchant marine, 
 since the organization 
 of the Republic, have 
 acquired such distinc- 
 tion as the Columbia, 
 By two noteworthy 
 achievements, a hun- 
 dred years ago, she attracted the at- 
 tention of the commercial world and 
 rendered a service to the United States 
 unparalleled in our history. She was the 
 first American vessel to carry the stars 
 and stripes around the globe ; and, by 
 her discovery of " the great river of the 
 West,'' to which her name was given, she 
 furnished us with the title to our posses- 
 sion of that magnificent domain, which 
 to-day is represented by the flourishing 
 young states of Oregon, Washington, and 
 Idaho. 
 
 The famous ship was well known and 
 much talked about at th'^ time, but her 
 records have mostly disappeared, and 
 there is very little knowledge at present 
 concerning her. 
 
 The committee for the centennial ol)- 
 servance, at Astoria, of the Columhia's 
 exploit having applied to the writer for 
 information upon the subject, in which 
 they are naturally so much interested, he 
 gladly responds by giving an outline of 
 the facts, gathered mainly from i)rivate 
 sources, and illustrated by original draw- 
 ings made at the time on board the ship, 
 and hitherto not known to the public. 
 
 The publication, in 1784, of Captain 
 Cook's journal of his third voyage awak- 
 ened a widespread interest in the possi- 
 bility of an important trade on the north- 
 west coast. In Boston there were a few 
 gentlemen who took up the matter seri- 
 ously, and determined to embark in the 
 enterprise on their own account. The 
 leading spirit among them was Joseph 
 Barrell, a merchant of distinction, whose 
 financial ability, cultivated tastes, and 
 wide acquaintance with afl^airs gave him 
 a position of acknowledged influence in 
 business and social circles. 
 
 Associated with him in close compan- 
 ionship was Charles Bulfinch, a recent 
 graduate of Harvard, who had just re- 
 turned from pursuing special tudies in 
 Europe. His father, Dr. Thomas Bul- 
 finch, lived on Bowdoin Square, and 
 often entertained at his house the friends 
 who were inclined to favor the new pro- 
 ject. They read together Cook's report 
 of an abundant supply of valuable furs 
 offered by the natives in exchange for 
 beads, knives, and other trifles. These 
 sea-otter skins, he said, were sold by the 
 Russians to the Chinese at from ^,"16 to 
 ^20 each. " Here is a rich harvest," 
 said Mr. Barrell, " to be reaped by those 
 who go in first." 
 
 Accordingly, in the year 1787, they 
 made all the necessary arrangements for 
 fitting out an expedition. The other 
 partners were Samuel Ikown, a prosper- 
 ous merchant ; John Derby, a shipmaster 
 

 THE DISCOVF.RV OF OREGON. 
 
 473 
 
 mind. 
 
 graven 
 
 I up and 
 
 in the 
 
 as to 
 
 OF 
 
 of Salem ; Captain Crowell Hatch, a resi- 
 dent of Cambridge ; and John Marden 
 I'intard, of the well-known New York 
 house of Lewis Pintard & Co. 
 
 These six gentlemen subscribed over 
 $50,000, dividing the stock into fourteen 
 '■k shares, and purchased the ship Coluinbia ; 
 or, as it was afte: this often called, the 
 Coliimhia Reoiviva. She was built in 
 1773 by James IJriggs at Hobart's Land- 
 
 I 
 
 ing, on the once busy little stream known 
 as North River, the natural boundary 
 between Scituate and Marshfield. One 
 who sees it to-day peacefully meandering 
 through quiet meadows and around fer- 
 tile slopes would hardly believe that over 
 a thousand sea-going vessels have been 
 built upon its banks. 
 
 The Columbia was a full-rigged ship, 
 83 feet long, and measured 2 1 2 tons. She 
 had two decks, a figure-head, and a square 
 stern, and was mounted with ten gims. 
 A consort was provided for her in the 
 Washington — or Lady Washington as 
 she was afterward called — a sloop of 90 
 tons, designed especially to collect furs 
 by cruising among the islands and inlets 
 of the coast in the expected trade with 
 the Indians. These vessels seem ridicu- 
 lously small to us of the present day, but 
 they were stanchly built and manned by 
 skilful navigators. 
 
 As master of the Columbia, the owners 
 selected Captain John Kendrick, an ex- 
 perienced officer of about forty-five years 
 of age, who had done considerable priva- 
 teering in the Revolution, and had since 
 been in charge of several vessels in the 
 merchant service. His home was at 
 Wareham, where he had built a substan- 
 tial house and reared a family of six 
 children. The venerable homestead may 
 still be seen, shaded by trees which the 
 captain planted. For the command of 
 the sloop, a man was chosen who had 
 been already in the service of two of the 
 owners, Messrs. Brown and Hatch, as mas- 
 ter of their ship Pacific in the South 
 Carolina trade. This was Captain Robert 
 
 Cray, an able seaman, who had also been 
 an officer in the Revolutionary navy, and 
 who was a personal friend of Captain 
 Kendrick. Cray was a native of Tivei- 
 ton, R. L, and a descendant of ore of 
 the early settlers at Plymouth. Alter his 
 marriage, in 1 794, his home was in Boston, 
 on Salem Street, where he had a family 
 of five children. His great grandson, 
 Mr. Clifford Cray Twombly, of Newton, 
 has inherited one of the silver cups in- 
 scribed with the initials *' R. C." which 
 the captain carried with him around the 
 world. His sea-chest is also in good 
 condition, and is now presented by his 
 granddaughter. Miss Mary E. Bancroft, of 
 Boston, to the Oregon Pioneer and His- 
 torical Society for preservation among its 
 relics. 
 
 Sea Letters were issued by the federal 
 and state governments for the use of the 
 expedition, and a medal was struck to 
 
 commemorate its departure. Hu dreds of 
 these medals — in bronze and pewter — 
 were put on board for distribution among 
 the people whom the voyagers might 
 meet, together with a much larger num- 
 ber of the new cents and half-cents which 
 the State of Massachusetts had coined 
 that year. Several of these medals and 
 coins have since been found on the track 
 of the vessels, among Indians, Spaniards, 
 and Hawaiians. A few in silver and 
 bronze are preserved in the families of 
 some of the owners. 
 
 Neither pains nor expense were spared 
 to give these vessels a complete outfit. 
 The cargo consisted chiefly of the neces- 
 
 4^a/ 'MC./M^ 
 
 sary stores and a good supply of hard- 
 ware — useful tools and utensils — to be 
 exchanged for furs on the coast. There 
 were also numerous trinkets to please the 
 fancy of the natives, such as buttons, 
 toys, beads, and necklaces, jew's-harps, 
 
474 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA AND 
 
 combs, earrings, looking-glasses, snuff, 
 and snuff-boxes. 
 
 The writer has full lists of the officers 
 and crew. Kendrick's first mate was 
 Simeon ^Voodruff, who had been one of 
 (.look's officer., in his last voyage to the 
 Pacific. The second mate was Josejjh 
 Ingraham, who was destined, later on, to 
 
 compensation in trade. The skins, when 
 collected, were to be taken to Canton and 
 exchanged for teas, which were to form 
 the bulk of the cargo back to Hoston. 
 
 They had a good run to the Ca]ie 
 Verde Islands, where they remained nearly 
 two months for some unexplained cause. 
 The delay occasioned much discontent 
 
 be a conspicuous 
 
 figure 
 
 m 
 
 the trade among the officers, and Woodruff and 
 
 Hobart's Landing, North River, Scituate, where the "Columbia" was built. 
 
 which he helped to inaugurate. The 
 third officer was Robert Haswell, the son 
 of a lieutenant in the British Navy who 
 for some years had lived at Nantasket 
 (now Hull). 
 
 Haswell was an accomplished young 
 officer and kept a careful record of the 
 expedition, from which much of our most 
 accurate information is derived. He 
 was also a clever artist and made some 
 of the sketches of the vessels which are 
 here reproduced for the first time. Next 
 to him was John 15. Cordis of Charles- 
 town. Richard S. Howe was the clerk ; 
 ])r. Roberts, the surgeon ; and J. Nutting, 
 the astronomer — or schoolmaster as he 
 was sometimes called. Mr. Treat ship- 
 ped as furrier, and Davis Coolidge as first 
 mate on the slooj). 
 
 On the 30th of September, 1787, the 
 two vessels started on their long voyage. 
 i\lany friends accompanied them down 
 the harbor and bade thtm farewell. 
 
 The owners had given each com- 
 mander minute instructions as to the 
 route and the manner of conducting their 
 business. They were to avoid the Span- 
 iards, if ])ossible, and always treat the In- 
 dians with respect, giving them a fiiir 
 
 Roberts left the ship. At the P'alkland 
 Islands there was no wood to be had, but 
 l)lenty of geese and ducks, snipe antl 
 plover. They lingered here too long, 
 and Kendrick was inclined to wait for 
 another season before attempting the pas- 
 sage around Cape Horn, but he was in- 
 duced to proceed, and on the 28th of 
 February, 1788, they resumed their voy- 
 age, Haswell having been transferred to 
 the sloop as second mate. They soon 
 ran into heavy seas, and for nearly a 
 month they encountered severe westerly 
 gales, during which the Co/iim/na was 
 thrown upon her beam ends, and the 
 little J I 'iis/i/fi!;^/(>f/ was so com])letely swept 
 by the waves that all the beds and cloth- 
 ing on board were coni])letely drenched, 
 with no opportunity to dry them. 
 
 Early on the morning of April i, the 
 vessels lost sight of each other in latitude 
 57° 57' south and longitude 92° 40' 
 west. It was intensely cold, and a hur- 
 ricane wi^s raging. The crews were 
 utterly exhausted, and hardly a man was 
 able to go aloft. 
 
 At last on the 14th, the skies brightened, 
 and tney had their first welcome to the 
 Pacific : but they could no longer see any- 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON. 
 
 475 
 
 |kins, when 
 .anton and 
 re to form 
 |5oston. 
 
 the Cape 
 
 lined nearly 
 
 Ined cause. 
 
 I discontent 
 
 )druff and 
 
 
 ? Falkland 
 >e hod, but 
 snipe and 
 
 too long, 
 o wait for 
 »g the pas- 
 le was in- 
 e 28th of 
 their voy- 
 sferred to 
 rhey soon 
 
 nearly a 
 e westerly 
 inbia was 
 , and the 
 tely swept 
 :ind cloth- 
 drenched, 
 1. 
 
 Til I, the 
 n latitude 
 
 92° 40' 
 
 nd a hur- 
 
 ;\vs were 
 
 man was 
 
 ightened, 
 
 le to the 
 
 see any- 
 
 thing of each other, and so each vessel 
 ])roceedef' independently the rest of the 
 way. The sloop lay to off the island of 
 Masafuero, but the surf was so heavy that 
 they could not land. At Ambrose Island 
 
 '/pn^^ayy^4^ 
 
 they sent a boat ashore, and found plenty 
 of fish and seals, but no fresh water, 
 so they were obliged to put themselves 
 on a short allowance. Almost every day 
 they saw dolphins, whales, sea-lions, and 
 grampuses. In June, they caught the 
 northeast trade-wind, and on the second 
 of August, to their inexpressible joy, they 
 saw the coast of New .Albion in latitude 
 41^, near Cape Mendocino. \ canoe 
 came off with ten natives, making signs of 
 friendship. They were mostly clad in 
 deerskins. Captain Cray gave them some 
 presents. 
 
 .\nd now for a time our mariners en- 
 joyed a little, well-earned rest, and feasted 
 their eyes upon the green hills and forests 
 as they cruised leisurely along the coast. 
 The large Indian population was revealed 
 by the camp-fires at night, and by the 
 columns of smoke by day. Many of 
 them came paddling after the slooi), 
 waving skins and showing the greatest 
 eagerness to get aboard. Others were 
 evidently frightened and fled to the 
 woods. 
 
 In latitude 44° 20', they found a 
 harbor which they took to ])e " the 
 entrance of a very large river, where 
 great commercial advantages r.iight be 
 reaped." This was ])robably the Alseya 
 River in Oregon, which is not as large as 
 they thought. The natives here were 
 warlike, and shook long si)ears at them, 
 with hideous shouts and an air of defiance. 
 Near Cape Lookout, they " made a toler- 
 ably commodious harbor," and, anchored 
 half a mile off. Canoes brought out to 
 them delicious berries and crabs, ready- 
 bo'led, which the poor seamen gladly 
 bought for buttons, as they were already 
 suffering from scurvy. 
 
 The next day, seven of these men were 
 sent ashore in the boat with Coolidge 
 and Haswell to get some grass and shrubs 
 for their sto( k. The captain's boy, Mar- 
 cos, a black fellow who had shijiped at 
 St. lago, accompanied thi.-ni ; and, while 
 he was carrying grass down to the boat, 
 a native seized his cutlass which he had 
 carelessly stuck in the sand, and ran off 
 with it toward the village Marcos gave 
 chase, shouting at the top of his voice. 
 The officers at once saw the ])eril, and 
 hastened to his assistance ; but it was too 
 late. Marcos had the thief by the neck ; 
 but the savages crowded around, and 
 soon drenched their knives in the blood 
 of the unfortunate youth. He relaxed 
 
 his hold, stumbled, rose again, and stag- 
 gered toward his friends, but received a 
 flight of arrows in his back, and fell in 
 mortal agony. The officers were i.ow 
 assailei' on all sides, and made for the 
 boat as fiist as possible, shooting the most 
 daring of the ringleaders with their j)istols, 
 and ordering the men in the boat to fire 
 and cover their retreat. One of the 
 sailors who stood near l)y to help them 
 was totally disabled by a barbed arraw, 
 
 Captain Gray's Cup. 
 
 which caused great loss of blood. 'I'hey 
 managed, however, to get into the boat 
 and i)ush off, followed by a swarm of 
 canoes. A brisk fire was kept up till 
 they neared the sloop, which discharged 
 several swivel shot, and soon scattered 
 
 i 
 
47»; 
 
 THE S/IJP COLUMBIA AND 
 
 the enemy. It was ;i narrow escape. 
 Captain (iray had but three men left 
 aboard, anil, if the natives had captur, J 
 the boat's crew, as they came so near 
 doing, they could easily have made a 
 prize of the sloop. Murderers' Harbor 
 was the approjjriate name given to the 
 place. Haswell thought it must be " the 
 entrance of the river of the West," though 
 it was by no means, he said, " a safe i)lace 
 
 for any but a very small vessel to enter." 
 This was probably near Tillamook Hay. 
 Some of the mai)s of that time had vague 
 suggestions of a supposed great river, 
 whose mouth they placetl almost anywhere 
 between the Straits of Fuca and Califor- 
 nia. When dray was actually near the 
 river which he afterward discovered, he 
 had so good a breeze that he " passed a 
 considerable length of coast " without 
 standing in — otherwise the centennial 
 of Oregon might have been celebrated in 
 1888 instead of 1892. How slight a 
 cause may affect the whole history of a 
 nation ! 
 
 Farther north, they saw " exceeding 
 high mountains, covered with snow " 
 
 sheltered anchorage, which they named 
 Hancock's Harbor, for the governor 
 under whose patronage they had sailed. 
 This was in ( layocpiot Sound, where, on 
 their next voyage, they spent a winter. 
 
 .At last, on the i6th of .August, 178S. 
 the sloo]) reached its destineil haven in 
 Nootka Sound. Two l^nglish snows from 
 Macao, under Portuguese colors, were 
 lying there — the Ju/iic and the J/>/ii- 
 ,i(t'/i/<i — commanded by Captains Meares 
 ami I )ouglas, who came out in a boat and 
 offered their assistance to the little stran- 
 ger. 'i"he acipiaintance proved to be 
 friendly, although there were evidences, 
 later on, of a disguised jealousy between 
 them. 
 
 Three days later, the English launched 
 a small schooner, which they nanietl 
 Northivcst America — the first vessel ever 
 built on the coast. It was a gala day, 
 fittingly celebrated by salutes and festivi- 
 ties, in which the Americans cordially 
 joined. 'I'he lVashini:^toii was now hauletl 
 up on the ways for graving, and prepara- 
 tions began to be made for collecting 
 furs. 
 
 One day, just a week after their arrival, 
 they saw a sail in the offing, which, by 
 their glasses, they soon recognized as the 
 long-lost Columbia. (ireat was their 
 eagerness to know what had befallen her. 
 As she drew nearer, it became evident 
 
 Medal struck to commemorate the Departure of the " Columbia " and the "Washington.' 
 
 (August 21), evidently Mount Olympus. 
 A few clays later, the painstaking mate 
 writes, " I am of opinion that the Straits 
 of Juan de Fuca exist, though Captain Cook 
 positively asserts it does not." Passing up 
 the west shore of the island, now bearing 
 Vancouver's name, they found a good, 
 
 that her crew were suffering from scurvy, 
 for her topsails were reefed and her top- 
 gallant masts were down on deck, although 
 it was pleasant weather. Captain (iray 
 immediately took the long-boat and went 
 out to meet her, and, shortly before sun- 
 set, she anchored within fortv j'ards of 
 
 A 
 
1 
 
 THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON. 
 
 i t 
 
 [hey named 
 j,'()vernor 
 
 had sailed. 
 L where, on 
 la winter. 
 Iigust, 1788. 
 (il haven in 
 
 snows from 
 |olors, were 
 the /////- 
 hills Meares 
 
 a boat and 
 
 Httle stran- 
 )ved to he 
 
 evidences, 
 Jisy between 
 
 h launched 
 ley nameil 
 t vessel ever 
 a gala day, 
 
 and festivi- 
 
 Hs cordially 
 
 now hauled 
 
 nd prepara- 
 
 r collecting 
 
 heir arrival, 
 ;, which, by 
 nized as the 
 was their 
 )efallen her. 
 me evident 
 
 om scurvy, 
 d her top- 
 k, although 
 ptain (".ray 
 t and went 
 :)efore sun- 
 ' yards of 
 
 the sloop. She had lost two men by 
 scurvy, and many of tlu- crew were in an 
 advanced stage of that dreaded disease. 
 After parting off C:ai)e Horn, tliey en- 
 countered terrific gales, and suffered so 
 mucii damage that they had to put in at 
 Juan I'ernandez for helj). 'i'hey were 
 politely received by the Governor, Don 
 iila's (ion/ales, who supjilied them 'with 
 everything they needed. The kind gov- 
 ernor hail to pay dearly for this, for, 
 wlien his superior, tiie C'aptain-( leneral 
 of Chile, heard of it, poor (lonzales was 
 degraded from oftiie, and the \'iceroy of 
 IVru sanctioned i.he penalty. Jefferst)n 
 afterw.ird interix'ded for him at Madrid, 
 but he was never reinstated. Who w(nild 
 have believed that a service of simple 
 humanity to a vessel in distress would 
 cause such a hubbub? JJy her cruel 
 censure of an act of mercy toward the 
 first American siiip that ever visited her 
 Pacific lominions, Spain seems to have 
 been seized with a kind of jjrophetic ter- 
 ror, as if anticipating the day when she 
 would have to surrender to the Stars and 
 Stripes a large share of her supremacy in 
 the West. 
 
 After tarrying at Juan P>rnadez seven- 
 teen days, the Coluinhia continued her 
 voyage without further incident to 
 Nootka. Cai)tain Kendrick now resumed 
 the command of the expedition. In a 
 few days occurred the anniversary of their 
 departure from Boston, and they all ob- 
 served it heartily. The officers of all the 
 vessels were invited to dine on board 
 the Columbia, and the evening was spent 
 in festive cheer — a welcome change to 
 those homesick exiles on that dreary 
 shore. 
 
 It was decided to spend the winter in 
 Friendly Cove, Nootka Sound, and a 
 house was built large enough for the en- 
 tire crew. 'I'hey shot an abundance of 
 
 J^^^C/- Q^^t^^A^ 
 
 A'9'i^ 
 
 game, prepared charcoal for their smiths, 
 and worked their iron into chisels which 
 were in good demand among the natives. 
 To their surprise one morning they found 
 
 that the Indians had landed and carried 
 off fifteen water-casks, and 'iwK' small can- 
 non which Captain Douglas had given 
 them. This was a heavy loss, ami as the 
 
 i 
 
 miscreants could not be found, the 
 coopers had to go to work and make a 
 new set of casks. 
 
 In March, 1789, the ll'as/tiiii:;fon was 
 painted and sent on a short cruise, while 
 the Coluwhiix was removed a few miles 
 up the Sound to a ])lace which they 
 named Kendrick's Cove, where a house 
 was built with a forge and battery. In 
 May the sloop started out again for furs 
 and met the Spanish corvette Piiucesa, 
 whose commander, Martinez, showed 
 great kindness to tiray, giving him sup- 
 l)lies of brandy, wine, hams, and sugar ; 
 
478 
 
 THE SJIIP COLUMBIA A.\D 
 
 FKOM AN OKiaiNAL MINIATURE. 
 
 but he said he should make a prize of 
 Douglas, if he found him. 
 
 At one plate a largt.' Ileet of canoes 
 came off in great ])arade and offered their 
 sea -otter skins for one chisel each. 
 Our men readily 
 bought the lot — 
 two h u n d r e d in 
 number — worth 
 from six to eight 
 thousand dollars ! 
 This was the best 
 bargain they ever 
 made, as they could 
 seldom get a good 
 skin for less than 
 six or ten chisels. 
 An average price 
 was one skin for a 
 blanket ; four for a 
 pistol ; and six for 
 a musket. (Iray 
 then stood south- 
 ward and went into 
 Hope Hay, and later 
 into a place called 
 by the natives 
 C ' ' '3set, where 
 t' vas every ap- 
 peal ;. ice of a good 
 harbor. He then 
 visited the islands " 
 
 of the north and 
 
 gave names to Cape Ingraham, I'intard 
 Sound, Hatch's Island, Derby Sound, Bar- 
 ren's Inlet, and Washington's Islands 
 (now known as Queen Charlotte's) whose 
 mountain tops were covered with snow, 
 even in summer. It is a pity that 
 most of the names given by our explorers 
 in that region have been changed, so that 
 it is not easy to identify all the places 
 mentioned by them. 
 
 Returning to Nootka they found the 
 Spaniards claiming sovereignty over all 
 that region, detaining the English vessels 
 and sending the Argonaut with her offi- 
 cers and crew as prisoners, to San Bias. 
 The schooner Northwest America, which 
 Meares had built, was seized and sent on 
 a cruise under the command of Coolidge, 
 and her crew and stores were put on the 
 Columbia to be taken to China. Serious 
 complications between England and Spain 
 grew out of these high-handed proceed- 
 
 /^^^ 
 
 ings, resulting in the " Nootka Conven- 
 tion," as it was called — the famous treaty 
 of October, 1790, by which war was 
 averted and a new basis of agret-ment 
 established between the two powers. 
 
 Another impor- 
 tant change now 
 took place. Captain 
 Kendrick conclud- 
 ed to put the ship's 
 ])roperly on board 
 the slooj), and go 
 on a cruise in licr 
 himself, with a crew 
 of twenty men, 
 while Cray should 
 take the Columbia, 
 reinforced by the 
 crew of the prize- 
 schooner, to the 
 Sandwich Islands, 
 and get provisions 
 for the voyage to 
 China, and there 
 dispose of the 
 skins. Ingraham 
 ami Haswell decid- 
 ed to go with (iray, 
 while Cordis re- 
 mained with Ken- 
 drick. And so the 
 two vessels parted 
 company. 
 The Columbia left Clayocjuot July 30, 
 1789, and spent three weeks at the 
 Hawaiian Islands, laying in a store of 
 fruits, yams, potatoes, and hogs. They 
 were kindly received there, and a young 
 chief, Attoo (sometimes called the crown- 
 prince), was consigned to Captain Gray's 
 care for the journey to Boston, under the 
 promise that he should have an early 
 opportunity to return. They had a good 
 run to china and reached W'hampoa 
 Roads on the i6th of November. Their 
 agents at Canton were the newly-estab- 
 lished Boston firm of Shaw & Randall, 
 who also attended to consular duties. 
 It was an unfavorable season for trade, 
 and their thousand sea-otter skins had 
 to be sold at a sacrifice. The ship was 
 repaired at great expense and made 
 ready for a cargo of teas. 
 
 The following bill of lading should 
 have a place here : 
 
 
 'i» 
 
 
 % 
 
THE DISCOVERY OE OREdON. 
 
 479 
 
 a Conven- 
 lous treaty 
 war \v;is 
 iKrc'Liiicnt 
 powers, 
 cr iinpor- 
 mgc now 
 e. Captain 
 condiid- 
 the ship's 
 on hoard 
 , and jro 
 isc in lit-r 
 kvith a crew 
 nty men, 
 ay shouhl 
 Coluinhia, 
 d hy the 
 the prize- 
 er, to the 
 \ Islands, 
 ])rovisions 
 voyage to 
 and there 
 i of the 
 Ingrahani 
 well decid- 
 with (Iray, 
 ordis re- 
 with Ken- 
 And so the 
 els parted 
 
 Dt July 30, 
 ks at the 
 a store of 
 igs. They 
 d a young 
 the crown- 
 :ain Gray's 
 under the 
 an early 
 lad a good 
 Whampoa 
 er. Their 
 !wly-estab- 
 : Randall, 
 lar duties, 
 for trade, 
 skins had 
 ! ship was 
 md made 
 
 ig should 
 
 " Sliippi'il l>y the ( iraco nC (mkI, in j»ihii| uriliT 
 and ciiiiiliiiiii), liV >lia\v an<l kaiiilall, in ami Ujxin 
 till' niHjil s|ii|) callfl tliL- ( vlii'ii/'hi, wliiTcot' is 
 Mastir unilir lii'd Iit llii* pn-scnt Xuya^jc Kohcit 
 ( irav, ami nuw Uidiii}^ al Amlmr at Wanipiia, 
 ami by tiiid's ( Iracc Imunil lor I'lostnn in Anicriia 
 — til say, 2JO ilu'sls Ixiiifa Tea, 170 Mall i lusts 
 
 (|(i, 144 i|tiarlt'r ilu'sts dn tn l>o di'liv- 
 
 iTi'd unto Sanuu'l I'arUinan l''.si|uirc, or 
 
 ti) liis assi^;ns and so ( iod siinl the ^md 
 
 .Shi]) tw liiT desired I'orl in Safity — Amen. 
 Dated in < anti)ii leli. 3, I 7^1 > 
 
 (si^Mied ) l\<)|ii:i%i ( iK.W." 
 
 Kendrii k rea( he<l .\Ia< ao, January 2(), 
 with his sails and rigging nearly gone ; 
 and, being advised not to go up to Can- 
 ton he went over to "Dirty liutter 
 liay" — a lunely anchorage near the 
 "outer waters," and there waited for 
 an opportunity to dispose of his five 
 hundred skins, and perha])S also to sell 
 the sloop. 
 
 The Coliimhia i)assed down the river, 
 February 12, on her homeward voyage, 
 
 with siKds of artillery and repeatcti 
 ( heers from a great ( nm oiirse of < ili/eiis. 
 ( lovernor ll.iiKock gave an entertain- 
 ment in honor of the oftii ers and owners. 
 .\ pro( i-.>ion w.is formed, and (aptain 
 (iray walkid arm in arm with the Ha- 
 waiian ( hief — the first of his race ever 
 seen in Pioston. He was a fine-looking 
 yoiiUi and wore a helmet tif gay feathers, 
 which glittered in the sunlight, and an 
 ex(iuisiti' < loak of the same yidlow and 
 scarlet pluinai:e. The governor enter 
 tained the com])any with litting hospi 
 talily, and many were the congr.itiil.ilions 
 extended on all sides to the men who 
 had planned and to those who had execu 
 ted this memorable voyage. 
 
 It must be said that, financially, the 
 enterprise was not of miu h profit to the 
 owners, two of whom sold out their in- 
 terest to the others ; but, nevertiicless, it 
 was an achievi'inent to be ])roud of, and 
 
 FROM AN OLD PRAWING BY HA^WFIl. 
 f 
 
 The Ship "Columbia" ami thu Sloop "Washington," 
 
 but a gale of wind prevented her seeing it j)rei)ared the way for a very large and 
 
 her old consort. remunerative trade in sul)se<pient years. 
 
 Between Canton and IJoston the Co- Indeed, so hopeful were the remaining 
 
 liiinbia took the usual route by the Cape owners regarding it that they imniedi- 
 
 of (iood Hope, calling only at St. Helena ately i)rojected a second voyage, 
 and Ascension Islands. She reached 
 
 her destination on the loth of August, "• ' "''• ^''■"^" ^"^ ^'■'■- 
 
 1790, having sailed, by her log, about No sooner had the Colninhia dis- 
 
 50,000 miles. Her arrival was greeted charged her cargo than she was taken to 
 
480 
 
 TJIE SHIP COl.LMniA AND 
 
 a shi|)yar(l and thorou^^hly ovorlKiulcd Owen Smith ; Abraham Waters, who had 
 
 ami liirnislu'd with new masts and spars 
 and a comptctc outfit as expeditiously as 
 possible. 
 
 An important sea-letter was granted 
 by the President, and another by tiov- 
 crnor llan<()<k, and still others by the 
 foreign consuls resident in Boston. The 
 
 served as seaman on the previous voyage ; 
 and John iicjit. i'he clerk was John 
 Hoskins who had been in the counting- 
 house ol' Joseph IJarrell, and who after- 
 ward became a partner of his son. 
 (leorge I )aviilsan, of Charlestown, shi])- 
 ped as painter ; and that he was an artist 
 
 FffOM «N OLD DRfWINQ BV OAVIUaON. 
 
 The "Columbia" in a Squall 
 
 owners prepared specific instructions for 
 Captain (iray, directing him to proceed 
 with all despatch, to take no unjust ad- 
 vantage of the natives, to build a sloop 
 on the coast during the winter, to visit 
 "Japan and l*ekin " if possible, for the 
 sale of his furs. He was not to touch at 
 any Sjianish port nor trade with any of 
 the subjects of his Catholic majesty " for 
 a single farthing." He was charged to 
 offer no insult to foreigners, nor to re- 
 ceive any " without showing the becoming 
 spirit of a free, independent American." 
 And he was to be as a father to his crew. 
 He was not to stop till he reached the 
 B'alkland Islands, and then only for a 
 short time. 
 
 The officers under Captain Cray were 
 assigneil in the following order : Robert 
 Haswell, of whom we have heard much 
 already ; Joshua Caswell, of Maiden ; 
 
 as well is evident from the interesting 
 drawings which he made on the voyage, 
 and which, through the kindness of his 
 descendants and those of Captain Cray, 
 are given with this narrative, though of 
 necessity somewhat reduced in size. 
 The Hawaiian, Jack Attoo, went back as 
 cabin-boy. The sturdy carpenter of the 
 ship was Samuel Yendell, of the old 
 North I'-nd of Boston. He had served 
 in the frigate Tartar when a mere boy, 
 and he helped to build the famous Coii- 
 stitiitioii. He lived 'o be the last sur- 
 vivor of the Coliimbia''s crew, dying at 
 the ripe age of ninety-two years, in 1861. 
 He was always known as an upright, tem- 
 perate, and industrious man. 'I'he pres- 
 ent Covernor of Massachusetts, William 
 Eustis Russell, is his great-grandson, and 
 evidently inherits th. 'acuity of building 
 the ship — of Stat; 
 
 
1 
 
 THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON. 
 
 481 
 
 rs, who had 
 |)iis voyj^fc ; 
 was John 
 y coiinting- 
 wlu) jiftcr- 
 his son. 
 town, ship- 
 as an artist 
 
 'I'hc Coltdiihia k'ft lioston on the 2Sth 
 of SfptciiihtT, 1790, calling only at the 
 fali^land Islands, and arrived at Clayo- 
 qiiet June 4, 1791 — a <iui( ker passa^'e, 
 by nearly four months, than tlie previous 
 one. Obedient to his ! iStructions, the 
 captain soon went on a cruise up the 
 coast, passing along the east side of 
 Washington's Islands ((Jueen Charlotte's) 
 and explormg the numerous channels 
 and harbors of that pieturescpie but 
 lonely region. 
 
 On the 1 2th of August he had the 
 
 Captain Kendric k was trading with the 
 \\\isliiii\itoit in tiiis same region. Know- 
 ing their pilfering hal)its, he took care to 
 keep all portable articles out of sight 
 when they were around, and lie iiad a 
 rule that more than two of tliem should 
 never be allowed on board at once. Ik- 
 kept a large chest of arms on deck, near 
 the companion-way, and wore a bra'c cf 
 pistols and a long knife conspicuously in 
 Ids belt, and then he would fire a gun to 
 let the Indians know that lu' was ready to 
 trade. On this occasion, they diil not 
 
 interesting 
 the voyage, 
 ness of his 
 ptain Cray, 
 
 though of 
 I in size, 
 nt back as 
 nter of the 
 if the old 
 liad served 
 mere boy, 
 nious Con- 
 e last sur- 
 , dying at 
 s, in 1861. 
 right, tem- 
 The pres- 
 s, William 
 idson, and 
 if building 
 
 
 -aE.v • 
 
 
 
 
 AFIEfi AN OLD DRAvVlNu HY DAViOSON. 
 
 At the Falkland Islands, 
 CAITAIN {IRAV, WITH CHART IN HAND, l ( 1S\ KKSING WITH ONK OK HIS OFFICERS. 
 
 great misfortune to lose three of his men 
 — Caswell, Barnes, and Folger — who 
 were cruelly massacred by the savages at 
 a short distance from the ship in the 
 jolly-boat. He succeeded in recovering 
 the boat and the body of Caswell, which 
 he took over to Port Tempest and buried 
 with fitting solemnity. It ^ .s a sad day 
 for the Colli mhia's crew ! They named 
 the spot Massacre Cove, and the head- 
 land, near by. Murderers' Cape. 
 
 Another instance of the treacherous 
 character of the natives occurred while 
 
 seem disposed to come any nearer, and 
 so he went into the cabin to talk with his 
 clerk. While there he suddenly heard a 
 native laugh on deck. He sprang up 
 and found a whole row of them crouching 
 all around the sides of the vessel. Turn- 
 ing to the arms-chest he saw the key \\as 
 gone, and at once demanded iv of the 
 nearest Indian who said in reply, " The 
 key is mine and the ship is mine, too ! " 
 Kendrick, without further ceremony, 
 seized the fellow and pitched him over- 
 board. A moment more and the whole 
 
482 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA AND 
 
 I 
 I 
 
 set had disappeared. They all jumped 
 into the water without waiting for the 
 captain's assistance. 
 
 It was near this shore, also, while cruis- 
 ing in th'.- Washiih^ton, that Kendrick's 
 son Solomon was killeil by the natives. 
 The father demanded redress of the chief, 
 who denied all knowletlge of the deed. 
 ]\!eanwhile, Kendrick's men found the 
 son's scalp with its curly, sandy hair, and 
 there was no mistake about its identity. 
 
 thetically the story of the murder and of 
 
 the fother's grief. The first lines were : 
 
 " ( Dirn.' all ye nuhlu seamen 
 Will) |)li)iij;h the raj^iiijj main." 
 
 After the burial of Caswell, the Coliim- 
 Ina sailed around to the north side of 
 Washington's Islands and found a fine 
 navigable stream which they called Han- 
 cock's River. The native name was 
 Masset, which it still bears. Here they 
 were glad to meet the iioston brig Han- 
 
 FROM AN ClU DRAWING BY MASWELL. 
 
 The Ship "Columbia" and the Brig "Hancock" in Hancock's River, Queen Charlotte's Islands. 
 
 The chief relented and gave up the mur- 
 derer to Kendrick, who, in his indigna- 
 tion, v,-as prompted to shoot him on the 
 spot. I5ut, pausing a moment, the cap- 
 tain wisely concluded that the future 
 safety of white men would be better 
 promoted by a different course. He, 
 therefore, handed over the culprit to be 
 l)unished by the chief in the presence of 
 a large assembly of his tribe. There was 
 a well-known song, commemorating this 
 event, quite popular with sailors. It was 
 afterward printed and bore the title, "The 
 Bold Nor'westman." It gave very pa- 
 
 coik. Captain Crowell, with later news 
 from home. 
 
 Returning to Clayoquot, they found 
 Kendrick in the harbor ind gave him 
 three cheers. He told li.ui that after 
 the tedious sale of his skin sat Macao, he 
 began to make the slooj) into a brig. 
 This took so much time that he lost the 
 season on the coast and stayed at Lurk's 
 Bay till the s])ring of '91, when he sailed 
 in company with Tlor.glas and touched at 
 Japan, and was the first man to unfurl the 
 American flag in that land. He sought 
 to open a trade, but Avas ordered off, as 
 
 the 
 of 
 
 Noot 
 treate 
 supp 
 had 
 the/. 
 — to 
 fortif 
 1)1 
 chast 
 large 
 most 
 lan( 
 cerei 
 and 
 dric 
 tikii 
 duly 
 cons 
 were 
 to J 
 mer 
 sign 
 sign 
 thei 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON. 
 
 4«3 
 
 rder and of 
 Ines were : 
 
 In 
 
 liiain." 
 
 [the Colli ni- 
 
 Irtli side of 
 
 jund a fine 
 
 |(;illed Han- 
 
 nanie was 
 
 Here they 
 
 brig Han- 
 
 tJ«C'J<* t>ivd;t;r Del VifXt' 
 
 ,jfe-??? 
 
 AFTER ONE OF DAVIF-SON'S OLD DRAWINGS 
 
 In WinttT Quarters at Clayoquot 
 CAITAIN (iKAV lilVINCi DKDEHS TO Mli. YF.NUELL CONCEHNING THE ULILDING OF THE SI.OOI' "ADVENTURE." 
 
 ands. 
 
 later news 
 
 they found 
 id gave him 
 n that after 
 Lt Macao, he 
 into a brig, 
 t he lost the 
 ed at Lark's 
 en he sailed 
 1 touched at 
 to unfurl the 
 He sought 
 lered off, as 
 
 might have been expected had he known 
 the rigidly exclusive policy of the Japan 
 of that time. Kendrick had called at 
 Nootka where, he said, the Spaniards 
 treated him kindly, and sent him daily 
 supplies of "greens and salads." He 
 had come down to Clayoquot to haul up 
 the LiTiiy Washington — now a brigantine 
 — to grave at a place which he had 
 fortified and named Fort Washington. 
 
 During this sojourn, Kendrick pur- 
 chased of the principal chiefs several 
 large tracts of land, for whi<:h he paid 
 mostly in arms and ammunition. The 
 lands were taken possession of with much 
 ceremony, the United States flag hoisted, 
 and a bottle sunk in the ground. Ken- 
 drick sailed for China, September 29, 
 tfiking with him the deeds which were 
 duly registered, it was said, at the 
 consulate in Canton. I duplicate copies 
 were prepared, one of which was sent 
 to Jefferson and filed in the State I^epart- 
 ment at Washington. The originals were 
 signed by the chiefs (as documents are 
 signed by people who can only make 
 their "mark"), and witnessed by several 
 
 of the officers and crew of the vessel. 
 These deeds ran somewhat as follows : 
 
 " In consideration of six muskets, a boat's sail, 
 a (|uantity of powder, and an American Hag (they 
 heinj; articles whicli we at present stand in need 
 of, and are of great value) we do bargain, grant, 
 and sell unto John Kendrick of ISoston, a certain 
 harbor in said .\hasset, in which the brig Wash- 
 /;/;■•/('// lay at anchor on the 5th of August, 1791, 
 Latitude 49'-' 50 ' .... with all the lands, mines, 
 minerals, rivers, bays, harbors, sounds, creeks, 
 and all islands .... with all the produce of 
 land and sea .... being a territorial distance of 
 eighteen miles square .... to have and to 
 hold," etc. 
 
 The names of some of the signing 
 chiefs were Maquinna, Wicananish, Narry 
 Yonk, and Tarrasone. 
 
 It was Captain Cray's intention to go 
 
 •m 
 
 /tt/J 
 
 into v/inter quarters at Naspatee, in Bul- 
 finch Sound, and he hastened that way, 
 but, being thwarted by contrary winds, 
 they put in at Clayoquot, and finding ex- 
 cellent timber for the construction of the 
 proposed sloop, he decided to remain 
 
484 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA AND 
 
 AFTER AN OLD DRAWING BY DAVIDSON. 
 
 The Ship "Columbia" surprised by the Natives of Chickleset. 
 
 there. The ship was made as snug as 
 possible in a well-sheltered harbor which 
 they called Adventure Cove. The sails 
 were unbent, the topgallant, topmasts, 
 and yards were unrigged and stowed 
 below. A space was cleared on shore, 
 and a log-house built, the crew all work- 
 ing with a will. One party went out cut- 
 ting plank ; another to shoot deer and 
 geese. The carpenters soon put up a 
 very substantial building to accommodate 
 a force of ten men, containing a chimney, 
 forge, workshop, storeroom, and sleeping- 
 bunks. It served, also, the purpose of a 
 fort, having two cannon mounted out- 
 side and one inside through a porthole. 
 All around there were loopholes for small 
 arms. 
 
 This they called Fort Defence, and 
 here they lived like civilized and Chris- 
 tian men. The log rej^orts : '• On Sunday 
 all hands at rest from their labors. Per- 
 formed divine service." 
 
 The keel of the sloop was soon laid 
 and the work went bravely forward. The 
 sketch of this scene shows Captain Cray 
 conferring with Mr. Yendell about the 
 plan of the sloop. 
 
 The days grew short and cold, the sun 
 being much obscured by the tall forest 
 
 trees all around them. Some of the nu 
 were taken ill with colds and rheumat 
 pains, and had to be removed aboard shi; 
 The natives of the adjoining tribe becani 
 quite familiar. The chiefs and the 
 wives visited the fort and the ship alnio- 
 every day, coming across the bay in the: 
 canoes. The common Indians were iii 
 allowed to land, a sentinel being alway 
 on guard, night and day. Captain (Ira 
 was disposed to be very kind to the na- 
 tives. He often visited their village- 
 carrying drugs, rice, bread, and molasst 
 for their sick people. Going one cl 
 with his clerk, Hoskins, they persuade 
 a woman to have her face washed, whe: 
 it appeared that she had quite a fair con. 
 plexion of red and white, and "one e 
 the most delightful countenances," say 
 Hoskins, " that my eyes ever beheli^ 
 She was indeed a perfect beauty ! " Sli 
 got into her canoe and soon after rt 
 turned with her face as dirty as ever. Sli 
 had been laughed at by her companion 
 for having it washed. It was a comnio 
 practice among some of the tribes fi 
 both sexes to slit the under liji and wca 
 in it a plug of bone or wood, fitted wit 
 holes from which they hung beads. 
 On the 1 8th of P'ebruary, several chiei 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON. 
 
 4H5 
 
 bme of the nu 
 and rheumat: 
 
 ved aboard shi; 
 ling tribe becan. 
 hiefs and tlu 
 1 the ship ahiio- 
 ; the bay in the: 
 Indians were ni 
 lel being ahvav 
 . Captain (Ira 
 
 kind to the nr 
 :1 their village 
 id, and molassi 
 
 Going one d, 
 
 they persuade 
 :e washed, who: 
 quite a fair con. 
 ;e, and " one i 
 itenances," sav 
 js ever beheli: 
 
 beauty ! " Sli 
 soon after rt 
 ty as ever. Sh 
 her companion 
 t was a comnio 
 the tribes fi 
 ler lij:) and wea 
 r-ood, fitted wit: 
 ng beads, 
 ■y, several chief 
 
 came over as usual, among them Toto- 
 teescosettle. Alas ! for poor human 
 nature, he was detected stealing the boat- 
 swain's jacket. Soon after he had gone, 
 Attoo, the Hawaiian lail, informed the 
 captain of a deep-lafd plot to capture 
 the ship. The natives, he said, had 
 promised to make him a great chief if 
 he would wet the ship's fire-arms and 
 give them a lot of musket balls. They 
 were planning to come through the woods 
 and board the ship from the high bank 
 near by, and kill every man on board 
 except Attoo. dray's excitement can be 
 easily imagined. All his heavy guns were 
 on shore, but he ordered the swivels 
 loaded at once, ;'.-d the ship to be re- 
 moved away from the bank. Haswell 
 pat the fort in a good state of defence, 
 reloaded all the cannon and had the small 
 arms put in order. The ship's people 
 were ordered aboard^ At dead of night 
 the war-whoop was heard in the forest. 
 The savages had stealthily assembled by 
 hundreds, but finding their plan frus- 
 trated, they reluctantly went away. On 
 the 23d of February, the sloop was 
 kunched and taken alongsiile the Co- 
 lumbia. She was named the At/i'i'iititre, 
 and reckoned at 44 tons ; upon receiv- 
 hig her cargo and stores, she was sent 
 northward on a cruise under Haswell. 
 She was the second vessel ever built on 
 the coast and proved to be a good sea- 
 boat and could even outsail the Columbia. 
 (iray soon after took his ship on a 
 cruise which was destined to be the most 
 important of all — one that will be re- 
 membered as Ijng as the United States 
 exist. On the 29th of April, 1792, he 
 fell in with Vancouver who had been sent 
 out from luigland with three vessels 
 of the Royal Navy as commissioner to 
 execute the provisions of the Nootka 
 Treaty, and to explore the coast. Van- 
 couver said he had made no discoveries 
 as yet, and inquired if (iray had made 
 any. The Yankee captain replied that 
 he had; that in latitude 46° 10' he had 
 recently been off the mouth of a river 
 which for nine days he tried to enter, but 
 the outset was so strong as to prevent. 
 He was going to try it again, however. 
 Vancouver said this must have been the 
 opening passed by him two days before, 
 
 which he thought might be " a small 
 river," inaccessible on account of the 
 breakers extending across it, the land 
 behind not indicating it to be of any 
 great extent. " Not considering this 
 opening worthy of more attention," wrote 
 Vancouver in his journal, " I continued 
 our pursuit to the northwest." What a 
 turn in the tide of events was that ! 
 Had the British navigator really seen the 
 river, it would certainly have had another 
 name and another history. 
 
 Oray continued his " pursuit " to the 
 southeast, whither the star of his destiny 
 was directing him. On the 7th of May, 
 he saw an entrance in latitude 46° 58' 
 "which had a very good a])pearance of 
 a harbor," and observing from the mast- 
 head a passage between the sand bars 
 he bore away and ran in. This he called 
 Bulfinch Harbor, though it was very soon 
 after called, as a deserved compliment to 
 him, Oray's Harbor — the name which it 
 still bears. Here he was attacked by the 
 natives, and obliged in self-defence to fir-e 
 upon them with serious results. David- 
 son's drawing gives a weird view of the 
 scene. 
 
 On the eveni'ig of May loth, dray 
 resumed his course to the south, and at 
 daybreak, on the 1 1 th, he saw " the en- 
 trance of his desired port " a long way 
 off. As he drew near about eight o'clock 
 he bore away with all sails set and ran 
 in between the breakers. To his great 
 delight he found himself in a large river 
 of fresh water, up which he steered ten 
 miles. There were Indian villages at 
 intervals along the banks, and many 
 canoes canie out to inspect the strange 
 visitor. 
 
 The ship came to anchor at one o'clock 
 in ten fathoms of water, half a mile from 
 the northern shore, and two miles and a 
 half from the southern, the riser being 
 three or four miles wide all the way 
 along. Here they remained three days 
 busily trading and taking in water. 
 
 On the 14th, he stood \\\) ihe river 
 some fifteen miles farther, " and doubted 
 not it was navigable ujiwards of a hun- 
 dred." He found the channel on that 
 side, however, so very narrow and crooked 
 that the shij) grounded on the sandy 
 bottom, but they backed off without 
 
 '^Sm' 
 
480 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA AND 
 
 difficulty. The jolly-boat was sent out to 
 sound the channel, but finding it still 
 shallow, Gray decided to return, and. on 
 the 15 th, he dropped down with the tide, 
 going ashore with his clerk " to take a 
 short view of the country." 
 
 On the 1 6th, he anchored off the village 
 of Chenook, whose population turned out 
 in great numbers. The next day the ship 
 
 Cape Disappointment and Deception 
 Bay. But none of these can be properly 
 said to have discovered the river. Cer- 
 tainly, Meares, whose claim England 
 maintained so long, showed, by the very 
 names he gave to the cape and the 
 "bay," that he was after all deceived 
 about it. And he gives no suggestion of 
 the river ou his map. D'Aguilar was 
 
 
 AFTER AN OLO DRAWING BV OAVUDSON. 
 
 In the Straits of Juan dp Fuca 
 
 CAITAIN C, ;AV (illUCED TO FIRE I'I'ON THE NATIVES WHO niSREGARDED HIS ORDERS TO KEEP OFF. 
 
 was painted anc all I.ands were busily at 
 work. On the 1 9th, they landed near the 
 mouth of the river and formally named it, 
 after the ship, the COLUMBIA, raising the 
 American flag and planting coins under a 
 large pine tree, thus taking possession in 
 the name of the United States. The 
 conspicuous headland was named Cape 
 Hancock and the low sandspit opposite, 
 Point Adams. 
 
 The writer is well aware that the word 
 discovery may be taken in different 
 senses. When it is claimed that Cap- 
 tain Gray discovered this river, the mean- 
 ing is that he was the first white man to 
 cross its bar and sail up its broad expanse 
 and give it a name. Undoubtedly, Car- 
 ver — to whom the word Oregon is 
 traced — may have heard of the river in 
 1707 from the Indians in the Rocky 
 Mountains; and Heceta, i.i 1775, was 
 near enough to its mouth to believe in its 
 existence; and Meares, in 1788, named 
 
 credited with finding a great river as far 
 back as 1603, but, according to his lati- 
 tude, it was not this river ; and even, if it 
 was, there is no evidence that he en- 
 tered it. 
 
 The honor of discovery must practically 
 rest with Gray. His was the first ship to 
 cleave its waters ; his, the first chart ever 
 made of its shores ; his, the first landing 
 ever effected there by a civilized man ; 
 and the name he gave it has been uni- 
 versally accejited. The flag which he 
 there threw to the breeze was the first en- 
 sign of any nation that ever waved over 
 iHose unexplored banks. And the cere- 
 mony of occupation, under such circum- 
 stances, was something more than a holi- 
 day pastime. It was a serious act, per- 
 formed in sober earnest, and reported to 
 the world as soon as possible. 
 
 And when we remember that as a re- 
 sult of this came the Lewis and Clarke 
 Expedition of 1804-5, ^nd the settle- 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON. 
 
 487 
 
 ment at Astoria in 1811 — to say nothing 
 of our diplomatic acquisition of the old 
 Spanish rights — then we may safely say 
 that the title of the United States to the 
 Columbia River and its tributaries be- 
 comes incontestible. Such was the out 
 come of the " Oregon Question " in 1846. 
 
 On leaving the river, May 20, the 
 Columbia sailed up to Naspatee where 
 she was obliged to use her guns to check 
 a hostile demonstration of the savages. 
 And soon after, in going up Pintard's 
 Sound, she was again formidably attacked 
 by war canoes, and obliged to open fire 
 upon them with sericus results. 
 
 In a cruise soon after, the ship struck 
 on a rock and was so badly injured that 
 she returned to Naspatee and underwent 
 some repairs and then sailed for Nootka, 
 and on July 23 reported her condition to 
 the governor, Don Quadra, who generously 
 offered every assistance, allowed them his 
 storehouses for their cargo, gave up the 
 second-best house in the settlement for 
 the use of Captain Ciray and his clerk, 
 and insisted upon having their company 
 at his own sumptuous table at every meal. 
 Such politeness was, of course, very agree- 
 able to the weary voyagers, and was held 
 in such grateful remembrance in sub- 
 sequent years, that Captain Cray named 
 his first-born child, Robert Dftn Quadra 
 Gray, for the governor as well as himself. 
 It was during this visit that Gray and 
 Ingraham wrote their joint letter to the 
 governor, which was often quoted in the 
 course of the Anglo-Spanish negotiations. 
 In September; Ciray sold the little sloop 
 Adventure to Quadra for seventy -five 
 sea-otter skins of the best quality, and 
 transferred her officers and crew to the 
 Columbia. 
 
 As he sailed away, he saluted the 
 Spanish flag with thirteen guns, and 
 shaped his course for China. As the sea- 
 son was late and the winds unfavorable, he 
 abandoned the project of visiting Japan, 
 which the owners had recommended. 
 Great was the joy of the crew when they 
 found themselves homeward bound. 
 They had an easy run to the Sandwich 
 Islands where they took in a supply 
 of provisions and fruits, sailing again 
 November 3, and reaching Macao Roads 
 December 7, in a somewhat leaky condi- 
 
 '-^.^J^^ / /!>^ 
 
 tion. The skins were se .t up to Canton 
 and the ship was repaired near Whampoa, 
 and duly freighted with tea, sugar, china- 
 ware, and curios. 
 
 On the 3d of February, the Columbia 
 set sail for Boston. While at anchor, 
 near Bocca Tigris, her cable was cut by 
 the Chinese, and she drifted slowly 
 ashore, almost unobserved by the officer 
 of the watch. This proved to be the last 
 of her tribulations, as it was also one 
 of the least. In the Straits of Sunda 
 they met a British fleet, escorting L^^rd 
 Macartney, the Ambassador, to Pekin, 
 for whom Captain Gray took despatches 
 as far as St. Helena. 
 
 At last, after all her wanderings, the 
 good ship reached Boston, July 29, 1793, 
 and received another hearty welcome. 
 Although the expectations of the owners 
 were not realized, one of them wrote 
 " she has made a saving voyage and some 
 profit." But in the popular mind the 
 discovery of the great river was sufficient 
 " profit " for any vessel, and this alone 
 will immortalize the owners as well as the 
 ship and her ^captain, far more, indeed, 
 than furs or teas or gold could have done. 
 
 It remains only to add that in a few 
 years the ship was worn out and taken to 
 
 1 o ^f? r 
 
N 
 
 488 
 
 THE SHIP COLUMBIA. 
 
 X pieces, and soon her chief officers all Rover in the Pacific. Haswell sailed for 
 
 passed away. Kendrick never returned the last time in 1 80 1, and was also lost 
 to America. After opening a trade in on the return voyage. 
 
 AFTER AN OLD DRAWING RY DAVIDSON. 
 
 At Whampoa 
 
 " CAPTAIN GRAY, FAClNd THE SHU'S, CONVERSES WITH A KKIESU ll'DS THE DISCOVERY OF OREGON." 
 
 sandalwood, he was accidentally killed at 
 the Hawaiian Islands, and the Lady 
 Washington was soon after lost in the 
 Straits of Malacca. His Nootka lands 
 never brought anything to the captain or 
 his descendants, or to the owners of the 
 ship. In fact, the title was never con- 
 firmed. Gray commanded several ves- 
 sels after this, but died, in 1806, at 
 Charleston, S. C. Ingraham became an 
 officer in our navy, but went down with 
 the ill-fated \)X\g Pickering in 1800. The 
 same year Davidson was lost on the 
 
 Their names, however, will always be 
 associated^ with the ship they served so 
 well ; and as long as the broad " river of 
 the West" flows on in its course, so long 
 will the Columbia be gratefully remem- 
 bered by the people of America. This is 
 the year of Oregon's first Centennial, and 
 the enthusiasm it has awakened clearly 
 shows that the highest honor on that 
 coast will hereafter be given to the heroic 
 discoverers who prepared the way for the 
 pioneers and settlers, and thus added a 
 fine group of States to our federal Union. 
 
d for 
 ) lost 
 
 ^'s be 
 sd so 
 •er of 
 ) long 
 mem- 
 'his is 
 I, and 
 learly 
 that 
 leroic 
 Dr the 
 led a 
 Inion.