THE NORTHWESTERN BOUNDARY - LINE. 209 



that the Kiver Columbia, first entered by Captain Rob- 

 ert Gray of the American ship Columhia, of Boston, 

 in 1792, and named by him, and afterward by the 

 English explorer. Captain Vancouver, w^as " the great 

 river of the West," the Oregon of Carver. 



That coast had already been ex2:»lored with more 

 or less of diligence by Spanish navigators, fitted out 

 by the Viceroys of New Spain, wdio gave to many of 

 the islands, straits, and channels the names they still 

 retain ; and Spain, if any Power anterior to the Unit- 

 ed States, had title by discovery in those parts of 

 America. 



But the earliest settlement on that coast was the 

 factory of Astoria at the mouth of the River Colum- 

 bia, established by John Jacob Astor. 



Then came the w^ar between the United States and 

 Great Britain : the first effect of which, as to the pres- 

 ent question, w\^s the military occupation of Astoria 

 and of the country on the banks of the Columbia by 

 British forces : subsequently to which, on the conclu- 

 sion of peace, although Astoria w^as surrendered to iis 

 in obedience to the stipulations of the Treaty of Ghent, 

 yet Great Britain set up claim to the valley of the 

 Columbia as against the United States, and^ indeed, 

 to all the country intervening between the actual oc- 

 cupations of Spain to the south in California, and those 

 of Russia to the north in Sitka. 



Claims of Great Britain in this quarter, with but 

 w^eak foundation, had already been asserted against 

 Spain to the south of the River Columbia. 



Controversy on the subject between the United 



O 



