GEOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 305 
The southern part of the Point Roberts peninsula is a part of the continent which falls 
still south of the 49° north latitude. The low peninsula of this point rises in this southern 
part to high, white, sandy cliffs falling perpendicularly into the sea. 
This point and peninsula were first discovered by Elisa, and named by him Punta de Cesseda 
and Peninsula de Cesseda. Vancouver gave to the point its present name, Point Roberts, 
after Captain Henry Roberts, one of the most distinguished officers who had accompanied Cook 
with Vancouver. 
18. FnasER's RIVER.—Though the two principal mouths of Fraser's river fall north of the 
49° north latitude and beyond the limits of our domain, still, at least, some sand banks and 
other products and influences of this river, which may be called a part of the delta, are still 
included in our boundaries, and we may, therefore, make a few remarks upon the nature and 
history of this boundary river. We can, however, touch the subject but slightly. 
Fraser’s river is, after the Columbia, the largest and most important river of the northwest 
coast of America. It rises in the Rocky mountains, near 54° north latitude, flows first directly 
south, and then turns abruptly to the west, in about latitude 20°, breaks through the Cascade 
mountains about Mount Baker, and empties into the Gulf of Georgia by two principal branches, 
a few miles north of 49° north latitude, the boundary line of the United States. The river 
forms there a broad and large delta, which consists of a tract of low, partly swampy, sometimes 
widely inundated, land. This delta projects into the gulf, like a peninsula, between the two 
points, Point Roberts (Punta de Cesseda) and Point Grey (Punta Langara.) Between these two 
points the river has formed broad sand banks and mud flats, which were called by Vancouver 
the Sturgeon Bank, and which are now sometimes called, from Point Roberts, the Roberta 
Banks. This sand bankis from eight to ten miles broad, and its soundings increase, in the direc- 
tion from east to west, from one to ten fathoms, with which depth it may be said to disappear. 
Probably Elisa (1791) had the first suspicion of the existence of a river in this region, which 
manifests itself very perceptibly even very far out into the gulf by the low delta, by its sand 
large trees and logs carried out into the sea; and further, also, 
banks, by irregular currents, by | 
ars as а deep depression 
by that deep cut or valley in the Cascade range which plainly appe 
from the water.* ‚рш 
That Elisa must have concluded, from all this, upon the existence of А river, is evident from 
Vancouver, who says that, when he was coming from his boat excursion and survey of these 
shores back to the south, he met the officers of the Spanish expedition, Galiano and Valdes ; 5 
expressed themselves astonished to hear that he had not found ы river said to exist ч the 
region which he had just explored, and named by one of the Bpsnish officers Rio тері 0, т 
compliment to the then prime minister of Spain.t That Spanish officer who named t d т 
river, and of whom Galiano and Valdes had this report, r pe none other than Elisa, 
| aniard who before them had ever been so far. 
racc vis 7 in understanding the river named Rio Blancho. И» mre 
probably Rio de Florida Blanca, for the Count Florida Blanca was then the prime minister о 
Spain. 
Vancouver, who 
approach the shore from the sh ; 
and circumnavigated it without suspecting or discovering a river. 
5 The observation of this depression is mentioned in the account of 
sailed alone the low delta of this river, (June 13, 1192,) was unable to 
allowness of the water. He called the bank Sturgeon Bank, 
the Sutil and Mexicana. 
+ Vancouver, vol. I, page 314. 
39 8 
