1788.] ME ARES DOES NOT FIND THE GREAT RIVER. 177 



the soundings gradually decreased from forty to sixteen fathoms, over 

 a hard, sandy bottom. After we had rounded the promontory, a 

 large bay, as we had imagined, opened to our view, that bore a very 

 promising appearance, and into which we steered with every en- 

 couraging expectation. The high land that formed the boundaries 

 of the bay was at a great distance, and a fiat, level country occu- 

 pied the intervening space ; the bay itself took rather a westerly 

 direction. As we steered in, the water shoaled to nine, eight, and 

 seven fathoms, when breakers were seen from the deck, right 

 ahead, and, from the mast head, they were observed to extend 

 across the bay ; we therefore hauled out, and directed our course to 

 the opposite shore, to see if there was any channel, or if we could 

 discover any port. The name of Cape Disappointment was given 

 to the promontory, and the bay obtained the title of Deception Bay. 

 By an indifferent meridian observation, it lies in the latitude of 46 

 degrees 10 minutes north, and in the computed longitude of 235 

 degrees 34 minutes east. 



" We can novj with safety assert that there is no such river as that 

 of St. Roc exists, as laid down in the Spanish charts. To those of 

 Maurelle we made continual reference, but without deriving any 

 information or assistance from them. We now reached the opposite 

 side of the bay, where disappointment continued to accompany us ; 

 and, being almost certain that there we should obtain no place of 

 shelter for the ship, we bore up for a distant headland, keeping our 

 course within two miles of the shore." This distant headland, in 

 the latitude of 45 degrees 37 minutes, named by Meares Cape 

 Lookout, and probably the same called by the Spaniards Cape 

 Falcon, was the southernmost point seen by him; thence he re- 

 turned to the Strait of Fuca, without again observing the land, 

 having, as he conceived, " traced every part of the coast, which 

 unfavorable weather had prevented Captain Cook from approaching." 

 The language of Mr. Meares in the preceding extracts, though 

 somewhat ungrammatical, is yet clear and explicit. He records 

 with satisfaction his conviction, founded on his own observations, 

 that " no such river as that of St. Roc exists, as laid down in the 

 Spanish charts ; " in token of which conviction, he assigns the 

 names of Deception Ray and Cape Disappointment to the places on 

 the American coast, near the latitude of 46 degrees 10 minutes, 

 where the mouth of the river should have been found, according to 

 the Spanish charts. Yet, strange though it may appear, the com- 

 missioners, appointed by the British government, in 1826, to treat 

 23 



