Where Is Point Vancouver? 81
sketch, in which it does not appear that Mr. Gray either saw, or was ever within 5 leagues of, its entrance.*^
"The friendly old chief, who still remained of their party, assisted at the ceremony, and drank His Majesty's health on the occasion; from him they endeavored to acquire some further information of the country. The little that could be understood was that higher up the river they would be pre- vented passing by falls. This was explained, by taking up water in his hands, and imitating the manner of its falling from rocks, pointing at the same time to the place where the sun rises ; indicating that its source in that direction would be found at a great distance.
"By the time these ceremonies and inquiries were finished, the night had closed in ; notwithstanding this, Mr. Broughton re-embarked, and with the stream in his favor sat out on his return. All the Indians now very civilly took their leave, excepting the old chief and his people, who, their route being the same way, still bore them company. Little opportunity had been afforded, especially at the latter part of their journey up the river, to ascertain the depth of the channels ; to supply this deficiency, the two boats spread, and sounded regularly all the way down. By this means a bank was found extending entirely across Baring's river, and from thence across the main branch, which they had navigated, to the rocky passage at the west end of Johnstone's island ; the greatest depth having been only 3 fathoms, Mr. Broughton was confirmed in the opinion he had previously formed, that any further examination of this branch would be useless.
"After passing to the west of the rocky passage, the best channel is on the southern shore, but even that is intricate, and the greatest depth of its water is only 4 fathoms. They took up their abode for the night about half a mile from their preceding night's lodging ; having returned in three hours the same distance that had taken them twelve hours to ascend."
II Ii«ut Broughton ind Capt Vancouver argue that the mouth of the Colum- bia river waa at Tenas-Illihee Island, between Cathlamet Point and Skamokawa; and that all the wide stretches of river below that constituted a boy or estuary.
