254 California and the North-west Coast 



continent, remains to be determined by future navigators." 

 But he adds " the fur trade is inexhaustible." 



Meares, a mercantile voyager, in 1786, was the first 

 European who had wintered on the coast north of Ban 

 Francisco, making it an event of historic importance. He 

 was a believer in Be Fonte's and De Fuca's voyages as 

 authentic. 



The next discoverer was, as was proper, an American, 

 sailing under ship's papers given by the old Confederation 

 in 1787. Capt. Gray, of Boston, on his second voyage, 

 discovered the Columbia river, in 1792, and by right of 

 discovery, then the law of nations, secured that outlet on 

 the coast to the United States. lie discovered Bulfinch's 

 harbor, the only oue for seven hundred miles, discovered 

 Queen Charlotte's to be an island, and revealed De Fuca's 

 straits to Vancouver, and for the first time carried the 

 United States flag around the world. La Perouse had 

 discovered the archipelago of Queen Charlotte's in 1786. 



Notwithstanding the discoveries of Capts. Cook and 

 Gray, the results of tbe fabulous voyages of De Fonte, De 

 Fuca and others were retained on maps till within eighty 

 years, and they were not overthrown, and the veritable 

 continent defined in its western limits until the memorable 

 voyage of Vancouver was completed in 171*4. 



Vancouver met with Capt. Gray on the coast to the 

 great surprise of the former, and profited by the commu- 

 nications made to him. ITe surveyed and defined Van- 

 couver's island and its archipelago, aud visited in all nine 

 thousand miles of coast. 



It was only after the results of his discoveries were 

 published that it could be said that we had a tolera- 

 bly correct map of the north-west coast. Aud yet absurd 

 as it may seem, aJ late as 1794, Vancouver was in the 

 hope, according to his instructions, of finding a river by 



